Between the two fires

The Seduction

Episode 4

Jesli stood between the two men, her breath shallow, her heart pounding. George radiated tension beside her, his fists clenched, his body rigid with barely contained anger. Damon, in contrast, was calm, collected—too comfortable in this game of temptation and control.

And she was the prize.

She should have felt powerful. Instead, she felt trapped.

“I think I’ve had enough excitement for one night,” Jesli said, stepping back. “I’m going home.”

George immediately turned to her. “I’ll take you.”

But Damon smirked, his dark eyes flickering with amusement. “Are you sure that’s what you want, Jesli?”

Jesli hesitated for only a fraction of a second—but it was enough.

George caught it. His jaw tightened, and his gaze darkened.

Damon chuckled. “Interesting.”

Jesli exhaled sharply, annoyed at both of them—and at herself. “Goodnight, Damon.” She turned to George. “Let’s go.”

The Ride Home

The car ride was silent. George drove with controlled precision, his grip tight on the steering wheel, his jaw locked.

Jesli stared out the window, her mind a storm of emotions. The way George had reacted tonight—possessive, jealous, present—was something she hadn’t seen in years.

But was it real? Or just a momentary flare of male ego?

Finally, she spoke. “You were ready to fight him.”

George’s grip on the wheel tightened. “I wasn’t going to let him disrespect me.”

Jesli turned to him. “Was it about you? Or was it about me?”

Silence.

Jesli sighed, shaking her head. “That’s what I thought.”

George exhaled, his frustration evident. “Jesli, what do you want from me?”

She swallowed the lump in her throat. “I want you to want me, George. Not just when another man looks at me. Not just when you feel like you might lose me.”

His eyes flicked to her briefly before returning to the road. “I do want you.”

She let out a soft, bitter laugh. “Then why does it feel like I have to earn your attention?”

He had no answer.

And that hurt more than anything.

The Distance Grows

When they reached home, Jesli walked inside without waiting for him. She slipped out of her heels, the weight of the night pressing down on her.

She felt George’s presence behind her, but he didn’t reach for her. Didn’t touch her.

Just like always.

Jesli turned to face him. “Say something.”

George ran a hand through his hair, looking exhausted. “I don’t know what you want me to say, Jesli. I’m trying.”

She studied him. The man she had loved for years, the man she had built a life with.

And yet, standing in their home, they felt like strangers.