Arrival

DAMIAN

Fantastic... Now I also had to take in the brat. My stepsister. Yet another stupid woman who meant nothing but trouble. As if I didn’t have enough other worries.

Every night, as a gang boss, I made sure that order reigned on my streets. Scum who ventured into my territory came into contact with me without question, and most of the time it was a one-time experience for both sides.

The streets were mine. Nobody – absolutely nobody – got in my way. But there was: Jax. My mortal enemy and boss of the Slots... the gang that ruled on the other side of town. Jax was a guy who knew how to break the rules and cross the lines. He was tough. Stubborn and always trying to take over parts of my turf. He was my biggest worry at the moment.

But now? Now I was supposed to babysit for a brat I didn’t even know.

I leaned against the window frame and stared out. A taxi stopped at the curb. She was there.

Celine. That was her name.

The taxi door opened slowly, and then she got out. And at that moment, I almost got hit by lightning.

“Holy mother of fuck!”

I leaned on the windowsill with both hands while my pants felt tighter and tighter, as if there was suddenly too little space. My eyes didn’t leave her for a second, and the longer I stared at her, the worse it got.

There she stood – as red as sin itself and outrageously beautiful. Her long, silky hair fell over her shoulders like a firestorm, her legs seemed endless, and her figure... Slim like a model, with curves in all the right places. And then there were her eyes - green, piercing, catlike. She looked at me from afar, and it was as if she had sensed my gaze right through the glass.

I knew she was trouble, but how could I keep my distance when I could barely move without imagining what she would look like beneath me?

With a heavy breath, I shook my head, forcing myself to leave the window and head downstairs to the front door. The cool metal handle gripped my hand tightly, but my mind was racing as I tried to keep a clear head.

The front door opened slowly as she entered. The air seemed electrified, the room suddenly felt smaller, as if there was no more room for both of us.

When she took the first step into my house, the air seemed to change. It was as if every fiber of my self-control was suddenly on a knife edge. Her gaze swept across the room, uncertain, searching, but still confident, as if she had long since decided to stay here – as if she had made her way into my territory without wondering whether she was welcome.

“So, you’re Damian?” Her voice was soft, almost like a melody, provoking and teasing me at the same time. Her green eyes scrutinized me, cool and waiting.

I forced a nod, my eyes fixed firmly on her lips, which curled up into a small, almost smug smile. “Seems so,” I murmured, trying to sound neutral.

But every sentence I said to her felt like a battle against my thoughts. Because my imagination had long since gone haywire, pulling one image after another out of my deepest darkness.

Her green eyes flashed. She shook her red hair out of her face and pushed a fine strand behind her ear. “Nice to meet you,” she said dryly. “My mother has told me a lot about you...”

“And that was certainly not much good.” I couldn’t hide the sharpness in my voice and had to grin.

A sparkle flitted through her eyes as she tilted her head slightly and scrutinized me. ‘Well,’ she replied, ”I like to form my own opinion.”

She took another step closer, and I was sure she felt the tension flickering between us, like a dangerous game with fire. A scent of citrus and something darker, almost sinful, rose from her, and I felt it take hold of me like a fever.

“Is that all you brought?” I nodded to her small suitcase, which was ridiculously light next to her on the floor. A bit too little luggage for someone who was supposed to move here.

She shrugged as if it were just a formality. ‘I don’t need much,’ she replied, eyeing me challengingly. ”Besides... It’s not forever.”

An amused smile crossed my lips. “Good, because I’m not exactly the long-term relationship type.”

There was a momentary silence between us, and I could have sworn that there was something in the depth of her eyes that she was trying to hide. She took a step forward, almost too close, and I felt her gaze bore through me.

“You don’t look like you spend much time alone,“ she said in a voice that suggested more than she wanted to say.

“What is that? Curiosity?” I raised an eyebrow and noticed how my voice sounded deeper and more dangerous than I had intended.

Her eyes flicked to my mouth, then back to my eyes, and I could see the hint of a smile on her lips. “Just observing.”

She was toying with me. I knew it, and damn it, it turned me on. It was as if she knew exactly what she was doing to me, every nuance, every movement, the slight increase in her breathing when she looked at me. She was a challenge, and I loved challenges.

“Well,” I said softly, stepping a little closer so that I could almost smell the sweet-sour scent of her skin. ”Then keep watching, Celine. Let’s see what else you find out.”

She didn’t back down, which proved to me that she wasn’t afraid – or maybe that she was just too proud to retreat. Instead, she returned my gaze, almost defiantly. Her cheeks were slightly red, a hint of color on her pale skin that was all too seductive.

The tension between us grew, palpable, electrifying. It was as if everything around us faded away and only the space between us existed. Images rushed through my mind: her lips on my skin, her body beneath mine, her movements, her breath trembling in my ear.

“You know the streets aren’t safe around here... if you want to go out! “ I murmured, not knowing exactly why I was saying it. It was almost a warning, and maybe a part of me hoped she would keep her distance.

But she just smiled, as if my words were an offer and not a warning. “Safety is boring,” she whispered, pushing past me, pulling her suitcase behind her, without looking back.

I took a deep breath, trying to tame the blazing fire in my head somehow, while I turned away and followed her.

She carried the suitcase like a feather, light and casual, and walked through the house with such confidence that it seemed as if she had been here for years. I wondered if she felt even a shred of awe or if she was just... fearless.

“Your room is upstairs,“ I finally said, nodding in the direction of the stairs.

“Should I go up alone, or do you have the decency to show me?” Celine turned to me, and the mischief in her eyes was unmistakable. She provoked me to the limit without a moment’s hesitation.

With a slight growl that I couldn’t help, I climbed the stairs in front of her and heard her footsteps softly behind me. At the top, I stopped, put my hand on the doorknob and turned to her.

“Here. Your new home for the next few weeks.” Celine stepped closer, so close that I could feel her breath on my skin. Her eyes traveled past me and scrutinized the door before she looked back at my face.

“Can I come in, or do you want to impose a few rules on me first, gang boss?” Her voice was dripping with sarcasm, and a challenging smile spread across her lips. I opened the door and took a step back to make room for her.

“Just the usual rules. Just stay out of trouble.”

“You should be careful, Damian.” Her voice was just a whisper, a challenging, provocative whisper. ‘With me... or I might get the idea to break the rules.’ A cold smile spread across my lips.

She walked past me and entered the room. My eyes followed her every move, watching as she surveyed the room. The white walls, the wide window through which the last light of the day fell, the large bed that stood almost invitingly in the middle. It was a simple room, without much frills – exactly what she was probably not used to.

“Pretty... bare.” She turned to me, crossed her arms and looked at me challengingly.

“Get used to it. You’ll find luxury elsewhere.”

She smiled as if my words only irritated her more. Slowly she sank onto the bed, supporting herself with her hands, and looked at me with a look that went right to my core.

“Seems sufficient for the night.” A blow to my chest would have been less intense.

The images in my head leaped around like wild sparks, and all I wanted to do was lean over to her, kiss that slightly open mouth, challenge that look and show that she wasn’t the only one who liked to play. But I forced myself to remain calm, keeping my gaze cool and distant.

“Then I wish you a good night Celine... If you have any questions... or need anything...” I paused, realizing that I was waiting for something, maybe for her to finally back away. But she did nothing of the sort. Instead, she straightened up and came so close that I noticed every scent, every warmth, every angle of her face.

I quickly turned around, paused briefly as I picked up the door, and looked back over my shoulder. “Good night, Celine...!”

“....One more thing,” I finally said, without turning around. ”Don’t forget that you’re sleeping under my roof. You’re on my territory...in my domain...and I make the rules here!!”

I closed the door before she could answer and leaned against it for a moment, taking a deep breath. This woman was dangerous – in every way.