Page 21 of His Grip

He recoiled, his hands falling away from her as if touching her any longer would burn him alive. His expression hardened, his mask slipping back into place.

“Go back to bed,” he said coldly, then turned away, disappearing into the shadows of his penthouse, leaving Sofia standing there, her emotions a whirlwind of frustration, anger, and a desire she couldn’t ignore.

CHAPTER 8

Sofia

She was going to use him against himself. Destroy him from within.

Sofia had never felt a desire this intense or a daring need like this before, but Viktor had played his hand, and she was determined to ensure he didn’t do this with someone else. She was far too defiant and independent to be locked away in a penthouse with a man she didn’t know—a man who was dangerous, and rightfully so. How many times had he warned her that he could break her? But Sofia was patient. Two could play the game he stubbornly believed was his alone.

She glanced around the room and spotted his jacket on the bed. He’d left it behind. Tiptoeing over, she took it in her arms like it was a prayer answered, then brought it to her nose. It still held his scent, intoxicating her with desire, but she shoved the jacket away too quickly, as if it had burned her.

Sofia wasn’t blind to the effect Viktor had on her. His touch, his voice, his proximity—all of it sent waves of heat pulsing through her. It pissed her off that she could want someone sodangerous. But that was exactly it, wasn’t it? He was tame, and she was going to test just how much of that he could hold onto.

Tonight, she was going to provoke him.

She knew he hated being provoked. She’d seen it in his eyes every time she tested his patience, every time she pushed him away, only to feel him pull back closer.

Inhaling deeply, Sofia walked toward the closet. She needed something that would stir him—something that would make him want her and remind him of the power struggle between them. She pulled out a red dress. Not just any red, but a shade that screamed fire. It was simple, the kind of thing a woman might wear to a dinner date or a gala. But to Viktor, she knew it would be something more—a challenge.

The dress clung to her body as if it were made for her. It hugged her curves, the fabric soft yet with a sharp edge, a promise of danger beneath its sheen. She turned in front of the mirror, admiring how it fit her, highlighting the strength in her frame and the softness in her skin. For a moment, she felt more than just the woman he’d married; she felt like something dangerous—something he could never truly exercise power over.

By the time she finished, she could hear the door of his penthouse open, the faint echo of footsteps entering. Viktor.

Sofia straightened her posture, crossing her arms over her chest as if she were in charge. She’d been in his world long enough to understand how it worked. It wasn’t about being meek or submissive; it was about power, about standing tall and demanding what you wanted—even if that was something no one else could have.

Her pulse quickened as his footsteps drew closer, and she waited, pretending not to care that her heart was suddenly hammering in her chest.

The door opened, and there he was. Viktor. He was as imposing as ever, standing in the threshold of the bedroom, hisbroad shoulders filling the doorway. The atmosphere between them thickened with a compelling pull, the one that always made her blood rush in her veins. He stood there for a long moment, just looking at her, his eyes tracing over her slowly, deliberately.

She could feel his eyes burning into her, and part of her wanted to break the long stillness. To give him a smirk or a quip that would keep him guessing. But she wasn’t ready yet. She needed him to come to her.

“You’re going out like that?” he asked, his words edged with something she couldn’t quite place. There was a wave of annoyance there, but also a hint of something else.

“I’m not going anywhere,” Sofia replied, keeping her pitch steady, even as the temperature in the room began to climb.

Viktor's gaze smoldered with unspoken desire as Sofia took a bold step towards him, her heels clicking against the hardwood floor, a sensual rhythm that matched her confident stride. "What do you think you’re doing, Sofia? Do you think you can ensnare me with your wiles?"

A mischievous glint sparkled in her eyes, her lips curving into a seductive smile. "Do you really think I'm trying to seduce you, Viktor?" she teased, her voice dripping with honeyed challenge.

He held his ground, his body rigid with restrained passion, every muscle coiled like a spring ready to snap. Taking a deliberate step forward, he closed the distance between them, their bodies a hair's breadth apart. "I know your tactics," he whispered, his breath hot against her skin. "But it won't work."

Sofia tilted her head, her gaze locking with his in a silent battle of wills. "I don't need to seduce you, my dear. You're already ensnared in my web."

His lips twitched, a battle raging within him. In a swift, possessive move, he captured her wrist, pulling her closer until their bodies were flush against each other. Before she could react, she was pinned against the wall opposite the bed, hermouth open and her eyes wide. She was supposed to be the one in control, yet she had just lost it in one second. “When will you stop thinking that you can have me wrapped around your little finger?” Viktor tilted his head as he watched her try to get a hold of herself, of her emotions. Yet, it slipped away from reach, making her frustrated with need. “I have told you countless times that this is my territory, and I run the things around here, including you. If I wanted to have you naked and in my arms, I would. There wouldn’t be a need for seduction.”

Sofia felt her pulse spike, the thrill of the moment getting to her. She couldn’t believe herself, that, for some reason, his controlling nature turned her on. It was like a part of her she hadn’t discovered until then, a part kept under lock and key for good reason. Sofia clenched her pussy, willing it to stop throbbing so she could think straight, think of a way to get back the power in the room. But Viktor was already edging towards her, his hands tracing a path from her thighs, going up unobstructed until the dress was bunched up around her waist.

“You always look great in whatever you wear,” he drawled. “But I have to say that red looks the best on you. It fills me with the urge to rip it off and take you right here and now until you realize who the leader around here is.”

Viktor pulled away from her and sat on the bed. “Since you were going to seduce me, I might as well let you have your way. I wouldn’t want it to be a waste of that sexy dress. Now, take it off slowly and sensually.”

Her eyes widened in surprise. “I can’t do that. I have never…”

“How then were you planning on getting through to me?”

Silence.

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