CHAPTER 108: PLAYING WITH FIRE

Her body stilled in place...she hadn’t expected that. Her eyes remained wide in shock.

"H-How did he..." she finally came to the realization that he must have been aware of her presence earlier. Then why did he wait for her to enter the room first?

Her heart began to beat loudly in her chest. She didn’t even know how to meet his gaze. How would she explain to anybody that she had entered a man’s room?...not just that, but when he was having his bath?

She quickly held the letter tighter. She didn’t care at this point. He had caught her, but that didn’t mean she would be leaving without it. She couldn’t just leave with embarrassment. She gulped lightly, trying to calm herself. She could do this. She could.

She turned, and just as she did, her face flushed. There stood Zekel—his belt already loosened as it flapped lightly. His bare, perfect chest was in full view. She pressed her lips tightly, trying her best to maintain a natural expression.

"Drop the letter."

Her eyes stared at him in surprise. She hadn’t expected the cold lifelessness in his gaze. He didn’t hold any teasing expression like he usually did, and that only deepened her suspicion. Whatever was in this letter must be serious for Zekel to act this way. She shook her head.

"I’m not giving you back the lette—"

Her words trailed off when she heard Zekel laugh. His laugh was so cold that her knees almost gave out. Her pupils trembled slightly in shock as he spoke, his gaze deadly. Every single teasing glint she had seen when they met was gone.

"If you don’t hand over that letter, I’ll take something more than the letter tonight. Now be a good girl and hand over the letter... or be my fucking whore and act like a bad girl. Trust me, I’m not a gentleman," he spoke, his voice turning into a low, serious whisper as he added,

"So drop that letter and quietly leave this room—and I’ll pretend a lady didn’t enter my room to seduce me."

Stephanie’s eyes widened as she gulped.

"S-Seduce you?" At this point, she didn’t know what to do. She had never seen this man look this deadly. His face was devoid of any emotion as he stared at her with a calm, eerie look. She didn’t even know how she was still standing depote the insult he had given her.

"No. I won’t. Either I read this letter here in front of you, or you let me take it. What are you hiding?" she spoke in a defiant tone, despite her inner self screaming at her to leave. The man was already screaming danger—his stance, everything screamed at her to run.

And yet... it was now that Stephanie became stubborn.

She heard him laugh again—his laughter breaking calmly through the tension in the room. She swallowed hard, not knowing why his eyes stared through the falling strand of his dark hair. Her heart was pounding.

’What is funny’

"You are really foolish," he spoke, and her eyes widened. Her chest tightened from the insult, her lips trembling downward. She was not the kind to care about people’s words—she was used to backbiting, insults from her leers and all.

But Zekel?

When Zekel said it, the way her heart squeezed so deeply in pain...

She swallowed the hard lump as she nodded.

"I promise you... you would regret those words," she spoke, her voice cracking lightly. Zekel, who had been unfazed, stilled slightly as he noticed the deep hatred flashing before her eyes.

"Darling, I had no idea you were a stalker," he spoke, then added, "I don’t hate it, but know that if I return the favor, we become equal," he spoke with a very serious tone as if giving her some kind of warning. He was even surprised how patient he was, as he was just too calm.

"So what is your business with the queen’s ex-husband?" she spat, as Zekel’s grin widened.

"And why should I tell you, hmm? Why should I trust you with such a deep secret?" he asked, as Stephanie managed to hold her gaze with his. She managed to maintain gaze with him, as she did not want to look at his perfect muscles.

"Do you want to touch me? Are you horny?"

Stephanie’s eyes widened at his words, her face burning as she was left speechless by this man’s shameless words. Did he just say that to her? She could not believe this man. He really did say such things to her.

"I’d rather touch grass than touch you."

Zekel laughed at her words.

’Is her trying to distract me’ Stephaniecould not help but wonder.

"Then how about I touch myself..darling maybe that would cool down your heat?" he spoke, as her hands flew to her mouth in disbelief. She did not expect such shameless words from this man’s lips.

Stephanie nodded as Zekel’s body stiffened, and before he knew it, she tore the envelope off the paper.

She had distracted him with his own words.

Just as she moved to pull it away, Zekel stood in front of her, his expression back to seriousness. Stephanie gasped in shock at his unnatural speed. His hands held her jaw as he raised her face to stare into his now dark brown eyes.

"You really want to play with fire? It burns, darling," he spoke, and she stared at him with wide eyes. As their gaze locked, hers turned determined as she spoke bitterly.

"Either I read this, or you don’t read it at all."

As if Zekel had read her thoughts that she was planning to tear it, he held her hands over her head...both hands but to his surprise, her hands tightened around the letter. And just as it did, his hands tightened around her jaw.

Stephanie hissed in pain as she tried to maintain her expression.

"You look so breathtaking, my darling," he spoke calmly, his eyes moving to the rumpled letter as she kept tightening her grip around it.

"I hate you," she spat angrily, as Zekel’s grin widened into a devilish smile.

"If that is how you translate the word ’admire,’

then I must say I hate you too,"

he spoke as his lips stretched wider. His eyes moved downward, now staring at her cleavage

Stephanie felt her cheeks burn with embarrassment—the fact that he did not even hide it shocked her. He made it known he was staring at her cleavage.

"Pervert," she groaned annoyed, as her hands were still held tightly by his, and he nodded.

"Yes, I am. And do you know what I can’t wait for?" he asked, his voice lowering into a sexually busy whisper.

"I can’t wait to wrap my lips around your damned nipples while I finger you and run my hand through your vagina like a violin bow moving swiftly across strings."

Before Stephanie knew it, a sharp moan escaped her lips. Her eyes widened as she could not believe what had just happened. Was it because he had used an instrument to say this? Her face warmed as she could not stare at him. She did not even realize when the moan escaped her lips.

Zekel chuckled.

"You’re still in your heat period, huh?" he spoke quietly as Stephanie stared at him.

"You are such a spoiled man. Anyone who sees you would think that you cannot hurt a fly—you fucking useless player," her breath came out heavily and rapidly as anger surged through her.

She was sure she was not the only person this man had said such things to. She was very sure this shameless man must have said this to countless ladies before—and she was even more annoyed at herself for falling for it to the extent she had let out a moan.

"I never said I was a gentleman, darling. People assume, and to think you actually believed I was...how dumb can you be?" he asked, a sly smile playing on his lips.

"Not as dumb as you my brother," she shot back, as Zekel’s pupils dilated slightly.

"Brother? Don’t call me that," he warned, his voice low and sharp. Stephanie’s lips curled into a smirk.

"And why shouldn’t I? Hmm, you’re my brother now," she replied, watching as Zekel’s jaw twitched.

His hands around her jaw tightened.

"Let go of my face, you per—" Her words were cut short as his lips crashed onto hers. Her eyes widened, but she kissed him back fiercely. Their lips moved roughly, pouring all their unsaid words into the kiss.

Zekel’s hands slid to her neck, pulling her closer as his tongue entered her mouth sucking her tongue hard. Their lips moved in perfect sync. He didn’t understand why, but with this woman, he loved being pushed to the edge.

Stephanie kissed him back, then suddenly bit down hard on his lips as something struck her, tasting his blood. Her body tingled intensely. He didn’t pull away despite the bite; instead, the more she tasted his blood, the wider her eyes grew and he kept kissing her despite the bite.

He pulled away slowly, his thumb gently wiping the blood from his chin, his lazy, seductive gaze locking with hers.

"You’ve tasted mine—now it’s time to taste yours," he whispered.

Before Stephanie could react or even understand his words, his teeth elongated. He turned her face gently to the side, his eyes tracing her slender, milk-colored skin. Then, without warning, his fangs plunged into her flesh.