CHAPTER 353: CHAPTER 353 EUPHORIA

He tilted his head slightly, his breath ghosting over her skin. "Just you and me," he said softly, "a husband and a wife. What do you think should happen?"

Her heart thudded so loudly she could barely hear the city outside anymore. The question hung between them, half teasing and half dangerous, while Leo’s eyes darkened.

"We’re... getting late..." Bella whispered, her voice barely steady as her wide eyes followed every small movement he made.

Leo didn’t seem to hear her, or maybe he simply didn’t care. His lips brushed the side of her neck, soft at first, then firmer, his breath hot against her skin. "I’m the boss," he murmured between kisses, his tone low and teasing, "and I don’t care. I don’t have a hundred employees for nothing."

"L-Leo..." she breathed, her hands trembling slightly against his chest. "What are you doing..."

He didn’t answer. Instead, his hand slid around her waist, and with one smooth pull, he turned her to face him. She gasped, her back lightly touching the edge of the table as he leaned closer. His eyes, silver and stormy, pinned her in place.

"Look at me," he said, his voice dropping into that tone that always made her obey without realizing it.

Bella hesitated, her lashes fluttering before she slowly lifted her gaze to him. Her heart pounded as she met his eyes, the intensity there both terrifying and magnetic.

"Are you scared of me?" he asked, one large hand coming up to cup her cheek. His palm was rough, his thumb tracing small, grounding circles over her soft skin.

Bella shook her head, unable to speak.

"Speak, Bella," he murmured, his tone gentle but impossible to disobey.

Her lips parted. "Not scared," she whispered.

A faint smile curved his lips, small but deep enough to send a shiver down her spine. "Good girl," he said in that low, approving tone that made warmth spread through her chest.

Her breath caught, her mind fuzzy as she tried not to think about how much she liked the sound of those words.

"Do you feel uncomfortable with me?" he asked next, his gaze never leaving her face.

She shook her head again, this time with more confidence. "No."

He tilted his head slightly, his voice soft but serious. "I mean my touch... does it make you uncomfortable? Or do you not want it?"

Bella hesitated only for a moment, her voice faint but honest. "No... I don’t."

For a heartbeat, silence filled the air between them. Then Leo smiled, slow and dangerous. "Very well."

His thumb moved gently, brushing against her lower lip before pressing down just enough to make her breathe sharply. Her lips parted under the touch, her pulse fluttering as his eyes lingered there, focused and dark.

"Then let me see," he murmured, his tone husky as his thumb traced the outline of her lips again, so slow and deliberate that Bella forgot what she was supposed to say next.

Goosebumps bloomed across her skin as his thumb traced a slow, teasing path from her lips to her chin, then down the curve of her soft neck. The warmth of his touch made her breath falter, her lashes fluttering as that thumb drifted lower, almost too slow, too deliberate. She thought he would touch her chest, and her heart raced at the thought, but instead, his fingers slipped to her shoulders, sliding down her arms until he caught her hands. He lifted them gently to his lips and kissed each knuckle, one by one, his breath warm against her trembling skin.

Bella felt lightheaded. The simplest brush of his hand was enough to scatter her thoughts, to melt the air around them into something heavy and intimate. She didn’t even notice when his other hand found her waist, rubbing slow, circular motions through the thin fabric of her top. The heat of his palm seeped into her, spreading a feverish ache that made her knees weak. When his hand moved to the small of her back, drawing her closer, her body responded instinctively, arching toward him, craving more. Her breath came in uneven waves, and when his fingers glided up to the back of her neck, she let out a small, helpless whimper, like a startled creature trapped between fear and desire.

Leo’s lips curved into a slow, knowing smirk. Just a touch, he thought, watching her with half-lidded eyes. Just this much, and she’s already losing herself. What will happen when I go deeper?

His hand tightened around her neck, not harshly but with a kind of dark possession that sent shivers rippling down her spine. Bella trembled under his hold, her body caught between wanting to escape and wanting to stay forever in his grasp. A soft sound escaped her throat, and before she knew it, she had pressed herself against him, arms circling his torso as if to steady the dizzying rush inside her.

He chuckled lowly, his breath brushing her ear, the sound rich and dark with amusement. "So easy to lose control, hmm?" he murmured, the warmth of his voice curling through her like smoke, slow, sinful, and impossible to resist.

And Bella didn’t really hear what he was saying. His words were lost somewhere between her shallow breaths and the rush of blood in her ears. All she could feel was him. Every place his fingers touched seemed to awaken something inside her, something unknown and wild, spreading like heat through her veins. It wasn’t just pleasure; it was confusion wrapped in euphoria, a strange, aching sweetness that made her body tremble and silently beg for more. She didn’t even know what she wanted more of, only that she needed it.

Seeing the dazed look on her face, the way her lips parted and her chest rose in quick, uneven breaths, Leo understood. The corner of his mouth lifted in a quiet, dangerous chuckle as his thumb brushed her throat, feeling the rapid flutter of her pulse beneath his fingers.

"Do you want me to help you?" he murmured, his voice low and rough against her skin.

Her reply came muffled against his chest, soft and uncertain. "Umm..."