Just Teasing

I was only teasing her. That’s the truth of it. I knew exactly how Sofia would react—snapping at me, glaring at me with that anger in her eyes, ready to spit instead of bend. And damn, I wanted it. I wanted to see that spark. To feel it. Once upon a time, I used to find it amusing–the way she’d hum in annoyance, the way her temper would flare over the smallest things. I’d poke at her on purpose, just to watch her unravel. Back then, it wasn’t just funny. It was addictive. Even now, years later, nothing’s changed. She’s still the only one who can look me in the eye without fear. Still the only one who can raise her voice to me and make my wolf fall silent instead of raging. Still the only one who can make me want to push, just to hear her snap back. And when she does—when that sharp tongue lashes out at me—it feels like home.

“Two hundred thousand dollars,” I said smoothly, my voice calm, confident, certain. “Every month.”

“You can hate me all you want,” I whispered, my voice low and seductive, “but we both know your mouth was made for me.”

The words twisted something inside me—half amusement, half hunger. I tilted my head, studying her, savoring the way my closeness was having an effect on her. She hesitated, her jaw clenching.

I leaned against the desk, watching her glare at me for what I had just said.

Her cheeks flushed, but her glare never faltered. She hated me in this moment, I could see it. Hated me for dragging the past into the present. Hated me for holding her here, cornered, with nowhere to run. And yet her body betrayed her. I caught it in the twitch of her fingers, the way her knees shifted, the way her wolf stirred uneasily inside her, torn between resisting me and remembering exactly how much she used to crave me.

“Fine.”

Her throat bobbed as she swallowed hard, torn between pride and temptation. I felt her wolf stir, restless, betraying the truth she refused to admit out loud. Her lips trembled before she bit them, her eyes narrowing on me. For a long moment, she didn’t speak, just stood there, her chest rising and falling too quickly, like she was choking on her own pride. Then her voice came out shaky.

Her eyes widened before she could stop herself, just for a second, just long enough for me to know I had struck the right chord. I leaned in, lowering my voice to a husky whisper.

Damien’s POV

A low chuckle rumbled in my chest. I stepped closer, close enough that she flinched but didn’t back away. My voice dropped, smooth and dark as velvet.

Her body stiffened against me, every muscle tight as a bowstring. For a heartbeat, I thought she might finally slap me, scream at me, storm out the door. Instead, her lips parted and she spat.

“You heard me, Sofia. Get on your knees and suck me, and the money’s yours. It’s not like you haven’t done it before. You used to love it.” I pushed further, deliberately teasing her.

“No, Sofia. Not just once. Wherever I want it. Whenever I want it. But…” I leaned in until my breath brushed her ear, my words sinking into her. “No sex. Just your mouth. That’s all.”

“Only that,” she muttered, her glare fixed on me. “Just… sucking you off. Nothing else. No sex.”

“Just this once.”

Her frown deepened, her glare sharpened, and I could tell she was one step away from slapping me across the face. I wouldn’t have minded it. In fact, part of me wanted it—wanted that outburst, wanted her rage as much as I wanted her submission. Sofia. My Sofia. The only woman alive who could twist me in knots without even trying. Her lips parted, ready to lash out, ready to spit venom at me the way she always did when I pushed too far. And gods, I craved it. That spark, that fury, that reminder that she wasn’t afraid of me, even when she should be.

Her eyes flicked away, her body going rigid, as if looking at me would shatter the fragile wall of defiance she still had left. I waited, silent, patient, letting the weight of my offer hang heavy in the air, daring her to reject me. Seconds dragged by. Her fists clenched. Her jaw tightened. I almost expected her to spit in my face and storm out. But instead, she exhaled, her voice barely above a whisper.

“Fuck you, Damien.”

“You can keep spitting venom at me all night, Sofia. You can curse me, hate me. But we both know you need what I’m offering. And you know exactly what I want in return.”

But beneath her defiance, I caught the flicker I’d been searching for—the hesitation, the memory, the way her chest rose and fell too quickly, her throat working as she swallowed hard. She remembered. And that was enough to make my blood heat, to make my wolf stir with a growl that wanted more than just words from her. I tilted my head slightly, my tone dropping into a whisper meant only for her.

I straightened slowly, pushing away from the desk, closing the distance between us with measured steps—each one deliberate, predatory. My eyes locked on hers, daring her to move, daring her to strike me, daring her to give in. When I stopped in front of her, so close I could feel the heat radiating from her skin, I bent down just enough for my breath to brush her ear.

“Excuse me?” she demanded, her frown deepening. I put on my act and held her gaze with a serious look.

“Go ahead, Sofia. Tell me no. Tell me you don’t remember how good you were at it. Tell me you don’t still think about the way I used to taste on your tongue.”

The sound of it rolled through me like fire, sharp and delicious. I smiled, savoring the fury in her voice. That was my Sofia. She jerked back, trying to move past me, but I shifted, blocking her path with one lazy step. My hand braced against the doorframe, caging her in without even touching her. Her chin lifted in defiance, her eyes burned into mine, and I gave her the bait.