Chapter 4 - the temptation game

The office windows stretched from floor to ceiling, the skyline blazing gold in the late afternoon sun. Raven, Emily Hart to the world, Raven to herself stood with her back to the city, her reflection glowing in the glass. The whiskey in her hand caught the light, liquid fire swirling lazily.

She rarely drank. Emily had been too timid for it, too afraid of losing control. But Raven wasn’t afraid of control, she was control. Every sip burned like a promise.

Behind her, the soft scrape of leather announced Luguard’s presence. He had stationed himself by the door, arms folded, eyes scanning the office like a hawk. Always disciplined. Always composed.

And always hers to test.

“Tell me, Luguard,” Raven murmured, her voice low and deliberate, “what do you think of Damien Louis?”

His gaze shifted slightly, a storm flickering in his dark eyes. “I think he’s a man who values power more than loyalty. I’ve watched the way he looks at you in meetings. He underestimates you. Men like that always make mistakes.”

Raven smiled into her glass. “Mm. You read people well.”

He said nothing, but she could feel his attention lingering on her. His restraint fascinated her, like a predator holding back the bite.

She set the glass down on her desk and turned, leaning against the edge. The silk blouse she wore clung to her curves, unbuttoned just low enough to tempt, just high enough to be denied. Her legs crossed, the slit in her skirt sliding open.

“Damien’s mistake,” she said softly, “was thinking Emily would never fight back. He’s not prepared for me.”

Her eyes met Luguard’s. He didn’t flinch, but the muscle in his jaw ticked.

“Neither is anyone else,” he said finally.

The silence stretched, heavy, charged. Raven tilted her head, studying him like she would a new acquisition measuring his worth, his limits, the breaking point she intended to find.

“Does it bother you?” she asked suddenly.

His brow furrowed. “What?”

“That I’ve changed. That the Emily you once protected is gone, replaced by someone… else.”

Luguard straightened, unfolding his arms. For the first time, he stepped closer not too close, but enough that she could smell the faint spice of his cologne.

“It doesn’t bother me,” he said, his voice low, almost rough. “It makes my job harder. Because power draws enemies. And temptation.”

Her lips curved slowly, deliberately. “Temptation, hm?”

His eyes flicked over her quick, restrained, but she caught it. She always caught it.

Raven rose from the desk, moving into his space. She could feel the heat radiating from his body, could see the way his hands flexed as though restraining themselves. She leaned in, her breath grazing his ear.

“Tell me, Luguard,” she whispered, “what would you do if temptation stopped hiding?”

For a moment, he didn’t move, didn’t breathe. Then, slowly, he stepped back, creating distance, his face impassive again but his eyes betrayed him. A fire he couldn’t quite smother.

“I’d still protect you,” he said, voice clipped. “Even from yourself.”

Raven smiled, savoring his restraint. Oh, he was good. Loyal. Strong. But even steel could melt under the right flame.

And she intended to be that flame.

⸻

Later that evening, her phone buzzed. A message, unsigned, but she knew the number. Damien Louis.

Dinner tonight? We need to talk.

Raven’s lips curved into a cold smile. Damien thought he could reel her back in, thought Emily’s heart still beat for him. Poor fool. He was walking into a trap, and he didn’t even know it.

She typed a simple reply: Eight o’clock. The usual place.

When she set the phone down, Luguard’s gaze was already on her.

“You’re going,” he said flatly. Not a question.

“Of course,” she replied. “It would be rude not to.”

His jaw tightened. “You know it’s dangerous.”

Raven stepped closer, until she was standing directly before him, her head tilting up to meet his stare. “That’s why you’ll be there, won’t you?”

The air between them crackled. Luguard’s eyes darkened, his lips parting just slightly as though he had something to say, something he couldn’t.

Raven reached up, brushing an invisible speck of lint from his collar, letting her fingers linger longer than necessary. “Good. Because I’d hate to face danger without my bodyguard.”

She turned away before he could answer, her smile sharp and satisfied.

The game had begun.

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