Page 12 of Influence

Business. Merely a business arrangement—one filled with sultry overtones and the unspoken promise of carnal pleasure.Perhaps I was letting my inexperience blur the lines between fantasy and reality.

With his arm outstretched, he beckoned me to take his hand. “Shall we go for a walk?”

I placed my hand in his, feeling the comforting strength of his palm as we strolled side by side. I absorbed the lush beauty of the expansive gardens on the southern side of the grounds, envisioning countless hours spent among the roses and the intoxicating scent of passion.

“I’ve waited for this day, Layana,” he eventually confided in a low, husky tone.

“Please, call me Laya,” I replied.

We were well past formalities.

As the sun began to set, its golden light caressing his sculpted features, my gaze wandered over his perfect jawline and lingered on his full, inviting mouth. Hypnotized, I licked my lips, a silent invitation that made him break into a smoldering smile.

“Very well. Then I want you to call me Niko.” He glanced away for a heartbeat before turning back. “There’s no need for formalities between us, Laya.”

I nodded as he voiced my thoughts.

The pulsing energy between us grew too powerful to ignore.

“Laya… Laya… Laya…” he repeated, each utterance dripping with magnetic allure.

I stared at him, utterly entranced, fighting to calm the burning sensation prickling over my skin and the tremors of desire growing deep inside me.

Could I handle a man like him?

Of course, I could. I was a fucking Vitalis.

What was wrong with me?

Vik and Avra had raised me to be a confident and self-assured woman, not this uncertain dodo, shaking in her stilettos, completely overwhelmed by doubt and vulnerability.

“I’d like to show you something, Laya,” he murmured, clasping my hand with a familiarity that felt as instinctive as my heartbeat.

I waited, holding back my questions and savoring the electric tension and mysterious allure that filled the air between us.

He guided me along the ancient terrace, its stone edge smoothed by time. I trailed behind without hesitation, admiring every detail of his sculpted, commanding presence.

The deep, dark greens and intricate shadows of the lush, vibrant foliage enveloped us like a soft velvet cloak.

Tall mulberry trees and brooding Kermes oaks stood like sentinels at the edge of the property, their branches stretching skyward in a silent, watchful embrace over the sprawling gardens below. We halted at the center of the terrace, where Niko paused before a pair of French doors thrown wide open, revealing a dimly lit bedroom beyond.

My breath caught at the sight of the enormous bed, visions of tangled sheets filling my mind. The room’s exquisite and strategic placement suggested it was the mansion’s primary sanctuary, perhaps Niko’s personal lair.

A thrill coursed through me. Could this be the bed I might someday share with him?

It was easy to imagine the two of us, entwined and vulnerable beneath the chaotic covers, a torrent of passion unleashed as Niko’s touch ignited every one of my dormant yearnings. Heat pooled between my legs, and the urge to press them together prickled at the back of my mind.

Stop it, Laya.

I chastised myself and averted my gaze from a sight I shouldn’t behold. Instead, my attention shifted to Niko as he stared at the grand oak tree that stood out from the open door, like a majestic figure rooted deep in the heart of the garden.

Dense and majestic, its rounded canopy spread like a protective dome over the landscape, while its trunk stood rugged and gnarled from years of enduring nature’s whims. This tree seemed carved by time, its roots anchoring it so firmly that not even the fiercest storm could hope to dislodge it.

“Meet Dryad,” he said, his hand sweeping toward the tree.

“Dryad?” I repeated, arching an inquisitive brow as I admired the tree’s ancient beauty.

“This tree has a story. My parents planted it together during their first year of marriage. I grew up with it as my silent companion, spending countless hours climbing its various branches and even falling out of it a few times.”

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