Page 5 of His Grip

“Sofia,” he drawled, his voice low and husky, his breath warm against her cheek.

The sound of her name from his lips sent a tremor through her. He leaned in, his thighs brushing against hers, and the heat radiating from his body made her knees feel like jelly. His gaze traced the curve of her jaw, the delicate line of her neck, before landing back on her lips.

Her resolve crumbled under his touch, her hands twitching at her sides as if caught between pushing him away and pulling him closer.

The world around them seemed to fade, the hum of the crowd and the music muffled by the sound of her own shallow breaths.

Sofia’s eyes darted around for anyone—anything—that might interrupt them. But even as she prayed for a distraction, a small, traitorous part of her hoped no one would.

The war inside her raged, the push and pull of logic and desire making her head spin.

“You like to push, don’t you?” Viktor’s voice broke through the silence, smooth but edged with something sharp.

Her lips parted, but no sound came out.

He leaned in closer, his lips almost brushing her ear. “Be careful, Sofia. If you push too far...” His voice dropped lower, sending a shiver through her. “You might find out just how far I’ll go.”

“Maybe I want to find out.”

“Sofia,” he drawled, his tone sounding husky as he grew closer, trapping her in there without a means of escape. His thighs pressed against hers as his dark eyes caressed her pale skin, burning her up in the heat of the moment.

She fought hard against it, tried to push back with all the strength she possessed. But her resolution was quickly fading in front of him, leaving her with mere whispers and a raging pulse. It seemed everyone exploring that part of the space had suddenly vanished into thin air, as Sofia prayed, someone walked past them, but at the same time, she didn’t want that to happen. It was a constant warning in her, and it made her head pound.

Viktor’s lips raised in smirk, as his hand hovered near her face, a mere breath away from brushing her skin, igniting a trail of sparks along her nerves. He leaned in, allowing his long lashes to fan his face as his eyes moved from her lips to her eyes then back to her lips.

“I have never had to explain myself before, but I will do this for you since you seem to want to know badly.”

“I don’t…”

“Shhhh!” He placed a long finger on her lips and shook his head slowly. “Perhaps, you weren’t told this, but I have quite an obsession for my domain, and anyone who tries to fuck with it ends up in trouble, like that man over there.”

His tone was like a silken thread, leaving Sofia in shivers. Her back arched on its own accord, pushing herself into him. Sofia should have known her little dress was the wrong choice of clothing for the night because now, her nipples were visible through the flimsy fabric, hard and perky, as if waiting for him to brush his fingers through it.

Sofia blinked to clear the thought away, but her foggy mind wouldn’t permit her, leaving her plagued with it.

“Viktor…” It was meant to come out as a warning, yet Sofia couldn’t bite back the moan that escaped her lips. She wanted everything to fade into oblivion as his eyes shot back at hers.

She could see them darken, the thoughts forming in his head even before she could stop him. Sofia didn’t even think it was possible to.

“See?” Viktor continued, having the right ammunition in his hands. “Even your body doesn’t want to go against me. I can see every inch of you, Sofia, craving my touch. Your eyes flutter close when my fingers graze your nape. I see the shudders that overtake you when my breath hovers around your face and ears. You should tread more wisely with me, Sofia.”

Despite feeling every movement he made, matching his every turn, Sofia’s spirit blazed like a fiery flame against the one he ignited within her. “Your world holds no fear for me. I’m not scared of you,” she declared, though a whisper betrayed her defiance, her voice trembling just above a murmur. The tension between her needs and her willpower was palpable.

A smile played at the corners of Viktor's mouth, cold and calculating. “You don’t understand, Sofia. I don’t want you to be scared of me. You can’t be scared, not with the thoughts swirling in my head right now. Fear needs to vanish so you can truly crave me.” He raised his hands slowly, deliberately, his fingers splaying on the side of her face.

His thumb brushed her lower lip, and Sofia watched him with a racing heart, terrified he might hear it pounding and uncover how desperately her body wanted him. She had never felt like this in her life, and it was both thrilling and terrifying. But at that moment, all she wanted was more.

It took every ounce of willpower not to throw herself at him, defying any consequences. Yet, Sofia had always been too proud, too defiant to stray from her beliefs. Perhaps she had met the person who would break her completely—or maybe not. “The last thing I want is to crave someone like you, a chauvinistic jerk.”

“I told you, Sofia. You don’t have to fight it. I can see it in your eyes, the way you desperately try to act like this doesn’t make you wonder what being with me would feel like.”

He leaned in closer, his breath warm against her ear, sending shivers down her spine. “You want me. I can practically see your body betraying you, straining against that dress. They’re begging for a real man to touch you, to get you wet and on your knees.”

Sofia felt her heart race, beating violently against her rib cage. “The last thing I’m going to let you do is touch me!”

Viktor chuckled lowly, a sound that reverberated through her. “You’ll take that back, baby girl,” he whispered, his breath a tantalizing tease. The way he spoke held a dark allure, wrapping her in a web of conflicting emotions. She struggled, her hands pressing against his chest, seeking distance yet craving closeness.

“Because I know you’ve thought about it. You’ve imagined what it would feel like—my hands teasing you, grazing your skin, pinching your hardened nipples. It’s going to be such a blend of pain and pleasure that your moans will echo through the room, your nails digging into my flesh as you lose yourself in it. I’ll kiss my way from your lips to your neck, until your dress becomes an obstacle—something that won’t stop me. Those pretty ties will make it easy to pull, exposing your soft skin for me.”

---