Page 96 of Knot Heirs: Serenity's Reign

She watched his approach in the mirror, feeling trapped between the glass and his advancing form, yet strangely unwilling to move away. The space between them charged with electricity, making the opulent dressing room feel suddenly too small, too warm.

"There's nothing between us," she countered, the words sounding hollow even to her own ears. "Except mutual interest in survival."

Darius stopped directly behind her, close enough that she could feel the heat radiating from his body without him actuallytouching her. Her Omega instincts responded to his proximity, a faint tremor running through her that had nothing to do with fear and everything to do with something she refused to name.

"Is that what you tell yourself?" His voice dropped lower, the rumble in his chest almost a growl. "That this is merely strategic?"

He reached out slowly, deliberately, his fingertips grazing her bare shoulder as he adjusted the strap of the dress that didn't need adjusting. The simple contact sent electricity cascading down her spine.

"Your father's empire requires more than just your brilliant mind to secure it," he continued, his breath warming the curve of her neck. "It needs strength. Protection."

"I can protect myself," Serenity whispered, but her body betrayed her, leaning subtly into his touch.

"Against the Cabreras? The Romanovs? The five other families that want what Marcus built?" His fingers trailed across her collarbone, feather-light yet impossible to ignore. "You're formidable, Serenity. But even you need allies."

The air between them thickened, charged with unspoken desires and dangerous possibilities. Serenity's carefully constructed walls felt suddenly fragile under the weight of his gaze, her strategic mind battling against the primal pull that drew her toward this man who represented everything she should be wary of.

"And what kind of ally invades a private dressing room?" she asked, turning to face him directly, refusing to let him see how affected she was.

Darius's lips curved into that infuriating smirk that somehow managed to be both arrogant and alluring. "The kind who sees what you need before you're willing to admit it."

He reached out again, this time to trace the neckline of the dress where it dipped between her breasts. "The kindwho understands that power and desire aren't separate things. They're two sides of the same coin."

Serenity's heart raced traitorously in her chest. "And which are you offering, Castellano? Power or desire?"

"Both," he answered without hesitation, his fingers now adjusting the dress at her waist, his touch lingering longer than necessary. "Always both."

Darius leaned in, his breath warm against the sensitive skin below her ear. "Your father kept you hidden away for a reason, little omega," he whispered, his voice a dangerous velvet that sent electricity racing down her spine. "He knew exactly what kind of chaos you'd bring to our world."

Serenity's breath caught in her throat. The calculation in his words contrasted sharply with the heat of his proximity, leaving her caught between attraction and alarm. The files waiting to be retrieved, the Vale empire hanging in the balance, the countless enemies circling like sharks – all of it momentarily blurred beneath the sheer magnetic pull of him.

"I don't need reminders of what I am," she managed, her voice steadier than she felt. "Especially not from an Alpha who's clearly trying to distract me."

"Is that what I'm doing?" His lips brushed against the pulse point at her neck, causing her to shiver involuntarily. "Distracting you?"

Her omega instincts screamed for surrender while her mind – the mind that had earned her MBA and navigated treacherous business dealings – demanded caution. She was Vale's heir, not some simpering omega to be claimed.

"You're—"

The rest of her sentence dissolved as his mouth claimed hers, swallowing whatever defense she'd been about to mount. The kiss wasn't gentle; it carried all the tension that had been building between them since that first meeting in her apartment.His hands found her waist, pulling her flush against him as a growl of satisfaction rumbled through his chest.

Against her better judgment, Serenity responded, her fingers threading through his dark hair, tugging him closer rather than pushing him away. The taste of him – expensive whiskey and raw power – made her head swim. She bit his lower lip, hard enough to remind him she wouldn't be dominated easily.

Darius pulled back just enough to gaze at her with those intense gray eyes, now darkened with desire. "Do you know how long I've waited to touch you like this again?" he murmured, his thumb tracing her kiss-swollen lips. "What perfect timing for us to find ourselves alone."

Reality crashed back in, and Serenity glanced at their surroundings. "We're in a dressing room, Darius," she hissed, fighting for clarity through the fog of desire. "In a public boutique."

His low chuckle sent another wave of heat through her. "You think that would stop me?" Without warning, he dropped to his knees before her, his powerful frame somehow making the submissive position look like an act of dominance. "Nothing stops me when I want something, Serenity."

His hands slid beneath the silk of the dress, pushing it upward as he exposed her thighs. Instinctively, she pressed them together, sudden vulnerability warring with anticipation.

"Relax," he commanded softly, placing kisses along her inner thigh that made her tremble. "No one will interrupt us. The staff knows better."

"Of course they do," she muttered, unsurprised that even here, his influence extended. "You probably own the building."

"The block, actually." Another kiss, higher, causing her breathing to hitch. "Now stop talking business and let me taste you."

Her body betrayed her mind as she widened her stance slightly. "Is this... is this what you want?"

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