Free Web NovelChapter 122: Chapter 122: The Moth and the Flame
The heavy oak front door clicked and swung inward before Alexander could even raise his hand to knock.
Aria stood in the brightly lit foyer holding the handle tightly her knuckles a slightly pale shade of white.
She had clearly been watching his arrival through the perimeter security feed.
Alexander took a slow deliberate step forward his eyes instantly scanning her appearance.
She was wearing a deep purple dress that fell past her knees styled in a slightly loose flowing cut that was a transparent attempt to mask the prominent curves of her lower abdomen and hips.
The fabric featured a modest elegant neckline and her dark hair had been meticulously styled to frame her face yet her frantic breathing gave away her nervous profoundness.
"Are you going to invite me in?" asked Alexander, his voice perfectly smooth and low
"Of course... please, come forward, excuse my manners" stammered Aria, quickly stepping to the side to give him room
Alexander strode into the wide hallway his eyes immediately drawing toward a massive illuminated console built into the side wall of the adjacent room.
Arrayed in a neat grid were nearly twenty high-definition security monitors flickering with live feeds that covered every single square inch of the exterior perimeter the driveway and the surrounding fences.
"Is this property yours?" asked Alexander, gesturing faintly toward the glowing surveillance hub
"Yes, it is" murmured Aria, her eyes darting to the screens and then back to her shoes "I usually come here when I don’t want to see anyone, I’m... a bit paranoid, which explains the extensive camera setup" frёeωebɳovel.com
"Well, I’m here now" stated Alexander, turning his full unwavering attention back toward her
A heavy suffocating silence immediately stretched across the room.
Aria felt her throat go dry under her intense calculating gaze her fingers anxiously twisting the fabric of her purple dress as the quiet space between them grew increasingly charged.
"What would you like to do tonight, Aria?" asked Alexander, taking a slow step closer his voice dropping into a dark mesmerizing melody "Do you want to have some dinner? Should we pour a drink? Or perhaps watch a movie? Tonight, I am entirely yours"
Aria swallowed hard her chest heaving as a wave of sheer vulnerability washed over her.
Standing directly in front of this young man made her feel incredibly fragile almost painfully exposed.
He was entirely too handsome his manners were too pristine and the aura of absolute control radiating from his posture was overwhelming.
Deep down she wasn’t stupid.
She knew exactly what Alexander was.
She understood that he operated like a high-class gigolo a master manipulator who used his body and his presence as a weapon a dangerous spider meticulously weaving a flawless web for his prey to fall into.
But as she stared into her cold dark eyes Aria realized she didn’t care.
She was a butterfly flying completely on her own volition straight into the trap fully prepared to be torn apart and completely devoured.
Even knowing that the outcome would likely destroy her she was entirely blinded rushing forward like a desperate moth drawn to an irresistible consuming flame.
"If you’re feeling too uncomfortable, I can completely understand" stated Alexander, his voice dropping into a low testing murmur as he took a half-step back creating a deliberate distance between them "Perhaps we should stop right now, before everything slips out of control"
"No!" gasped Aria, her hand shooting out instinctively to catch his sleeve before she could even stop herself "Please... don’t leave, it’s just... I’m just feeling a little shy, it’s not that I’ve never had this kind of encounter before, but... it’s the first time with someone like you"
"Someone like me?" asked Alexander, tiltling his head with a faint unreadable smirk "Like what?"
"I... I wouldn’t know how to say it" whispered Aria, her cheeks flushing a deep crimson as she tried to pull her hand back but found her gaze locked onto his
"Of course you know" stated Alexander, stepping back into her personal space his imposing figure completely crowding her against the wall "Tell me"
"I don’t know... I really don’t" stammered Aria, her breathing turning increasingly shallow
Alexander didn’t answer with words.
He leaned down his lips brushing against the side of her neck before his teeth lightly gripped the soft skin of her earlobe giving it a sharp deliberate bite.
Aria let out a soft trembling gasp a sudden shiver tearing straight down her spine as her knees went completely weak.
"Tell me" whispered Alexander against her ear his warm breath sending another wave of heat through her body "If you don’t tell me what it is you want, how am I supposed to understand you?"
"Someone... someone as... handsome as you" confessed Aria, the truth slipping out of her in a desperate breathless rush
"So I’m handsome?" asked Alexander, pulling back just enough to look down into her wide hazel eyes "What exactly do you like about me, Aria?"
"I... I like everything, your abdomen... your face... your..." muttered Aria
"So my abdomen is the very first thing you mention?" interrupted Alexander, a dark dangerous amusement dancing in his eyes
Without taking his gaze off her Alexander reached down and smoothly unbuttoned his crisp black shirt.
He pulled it off his shoulders and tossed it carelessly onto a nearby chair exposing his perfectly sculpted razor-sharp chest and abdominal muscles right in front of her face.
"So you’ve been craving this from the very beginning?" asked Alexander, his voice dropping into a dominant husky tone "You should have just said so, is there anything else you want to see? Actually, never mind, why waste time making you choose?"
Aria stared at his bare torso her mouth slightly open as her pulse hammered wildly in her ears.
The raw masculine perfection of his body made her feel even more heavy and insecure about her own yet the sheer desire pooling in her gut was entirely paralyzing.
"Let’s play some games instead" stated Alexander, reaching out to gently trace a finger along her trembling jawline
