Beneath the Velvet Sky

Chapter 1: Above the Clouds, Beneath the Surface

Even paradise feels hollow when there's a storm brewing beneath the surface.

The jet's engines hummed softly as it cruised high above the clouds, its luxurious interior an intimate sanctuary of leather and polished wood. Elysia sat by the window, watching the distant shimmer of the Indian Ocean as the private jet made its way toward Seychelles. Her heart should have been light; they were headed to paradise, after all. But the tension between her and Rafael simmered just beneath the surface.

Rafael was seated beside her, his presence undeniable, commanding.

Even as they journeyed toward paradise, Rafael's phone buzzed discreetly at his side. His gaze flickered briefly to the screen—an important notification from his company, Delgado Enterprises. He silenced it with a practiced flick, but the reminder lingered—his world of board meetings and billion-dollar deals wasn't far behind.

The weight of his responsibilities only fueled his need to control the few things he could, including her. He reached over and took her hand gently, his thumb brushing over her knuckles. There was something in his touch—possessive, wanting. But it wasn't just control he sought; there was a deep desire for her emotional surrender, something she had stubbornly resisted. He hadn't spoken much since they took off, but the weight of his unspoken desires hung in the air.

He leaned in closer, his lips brushing against her ear. "You've been distant," he whispered, his voice low, a mixture of concern and restrained anger.

Elysia swallowed hard, torn between the man she couldn't fully let in and the feelings she couldn't fully shut out. She glanced at him but said nothing. Her silence only stoked his frustration.

Rafael, never one to be easily ignored, stood, walking to a nearby compartment and retrieving something small and discreet. She recognized it immediately, a vibrator, sleek and black. Her pulse quickened, and she felt her cheeks flush. His dark eyes locked onto hers as he returned to his seat, the charged air between them sparking with an unspoken intensity. There were moments like these where she felt powerless against his desires, moments where she craved the safety of her emotional walls, but her body told a different story.

Without a word, he reached for her again, his fingers trailing up her thigh beneath her silk dress. Elysia's heart pounded, her body reacting to the sheer dominance in his touch. She wanted to resist—to maintain the emotional distance she'd fought so hard to protect—but as his hand moved with expert precision, she felt her willpower faltering.

Her breath hitched as he slipped the vibrator beneath her, its quiet hum quickly filling the space between them. She fought to resist, but her body had other plans, as her body responded to his touch, to the sensation that pulsed against her skin.

Rafael's eyes never left her face, watching every reaction, every flicker of pleasure and resistance. He leaned in, his lips barely touching hers as he spoke. His voice was a soft whisper against her skin, but it wasn't just his words that made her heart stutter—it was the way he watched her, eyes dark with unspoken need, as if she was the one with the true power, even as her body quivered under his touch. "You crave what I offer, even when you fight it."

The truth in his words stung. Elysia's heart clenched with memories of Jacob, her late husband. Could she ever allow herself to fully belong to another man? She closed her eyes, biting her lip, hating how much he knew her—how easily he could make her surrender to him, even when her heart still belonged to another.

As the vibrations intensified, her body arched involuntarily, the luxurious leather of her seat soft against her back. She gripped the armrest, her breath coming in short, ragged bursts. Rafael's hand slid higher, his fingers brushing the edge of her lace panties, teasing, controlling every ounce of her pleasure. Her mind clawed for the control she once possessed, but her body was a traitor, every nerve alight under Rafael's touch. It scared her, this inability to draw the line between desire and vulnerability, especially when memories of Jacob still clung to her.

It wasn't love—not yet—but the raw, unrelenting passion that filled the space between them was undeniable. She hated him for how easily he could break through her walls, for making her feel vulnerable, but in moments like this, with the jet humming around them and the world falling away, it was impossible to deny what was happening between them.

When the sensations became too much, her body trembling under the weight of her release, she finally met his gaze, her voice barely a whisper. "Rafael..."

But he hushed her with a kiss, deep and commanding, his lips sealing the emotions she refused to voice. He knew the truth without her saying a word.

The jet soon descended, touching down smoothly on the private airstrip on Mahé Island. A sleek yacht awaited them at the marina, its polished deck gleaming under the midday sun, a quiet promise of further indulgence.

As they stepped onto the yacht, the crew greeted them with respectful nods, and the boat set off across the shimmering waters. The ocean stretched endlessly around them, a deep, crystalline blue, the warm breeze playing with Elysia's hair. The serenity of the sea contrasted sharply with the tumult of her thoughts.

The boat ride across the Indian Ocean felt like a dream, yet the tension between her and Rafael was impossible to escape. With every passing wave, she found herself drifting deeper into her thoughts, wondering how long she could hold on to her emotional walls. The paradise Rafael had promised seemed like an illusion—trust was still so far out of reach.

As soon as they docked at North Island, Faye sprinted ahead, her laughter cutting through the quiet of the island. "Daddy! Look!" she exclaimed, proudly holding up a seashell. Rafael knelt, his features softening as he embraced her. Grace was right behind, flinging her arms around him with joyful abandon.

For a moment, Elysia watched from a distance, her emotions tangled. Rafael, who had claimed so much of her life, had also, without effort, claimed her daughters' hearts.