Sweet Hatred Chapter 36: “Be a good girl, Aria."

KAEL

"If you have nothing aningful to say to , I’m leaving. Sir."

Aria exhaled sharply, defiance sharpening every syllable, before spinning on her heel to leave, defying my words. Wrong fucking move.

"Where do you think you’re going?"

My hand snapped out, steel wrapped in velvet, crushing her wrist before she could take a second step. Her pulse hamred against my grip as I dragged her forward instead, her body stumbling into the gravity of mine.

She twisted in my grip, her glare burning into my back as I pulled her down the hall. "Let go of ."

I didn’t. Wouldn’t.

Her fingers clawed at my hold, her body coiled like a spring—all fury, no strategy. Pathetic. I could’ve released her. Should’ve, maybe. But the way her defiance ignited sothing primal in my chest? The way her futile struggles carved a smirk onto my lips? No fucking way.

We passed Mia’s empty desk. Good. That ant I didn’t have to waste my ti. Mia was desperate, but she’d learned her place. Aria, however... She still clung to the delusion of choice, of control and truthfully I enjoyed it.

I stepped aside, releasing my grip on her wrist as we reached the door to her new office. "Go on," I murmured.

She hesitated before cursing under her breath and twisted the knob open. The mont she stepped inside, her shoulders stiffened. There it was. That little flicker of surprise she tried so damn hard to hide.

I followed and leaned against the doorfra, watching her take it all in—the sleek, modern desk, the deep leather chair, the massive floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city. Everything in here scread luxury and power.

"You can thank later," I said smoothly.

Her head snapped toward , amber eyes sharp with irritation. "You must really think you’re so kind of god huh?"

I tilted my head slightly. "Who says I’m not?"

"You’re so full of shit."

I crooked a cold smirk. "Careful, Aria. Blasphemy suits you... but we both know who answers the prayers here."

Her jaw clenched, her patience slipping. Push her further.

"So, do you like it?" I asked, voice deceptively calm.

She turned away, dragging her gaze over every inch of the office as if searching for sothing to hate. "It’s a glorified cage, I’ll give it that," she muttered.

"Your cage," I corrected, crowding her until the heat of her body scread against mine. "You’ll work here."

She huffed a humorless laugh. "Work? Or you an just sitting around waiting to be your personal—"

"Oh you’ll earn your place here firefly." I cut in, voice low, sharp. I let the words settle, stepping closer. Just enough to suffocate.

Her glare hardened. Good. I wanted it to sting.

"You still see that way, don’t you?" she asked, voice calm—too calm. But her fists clenched at her sides, betraying her.

I humd. "I don’t forgive mistakes easily, firefly." The nickna rolled off my tongue, lazy, taunting. "If you want my respect, you’ll have to impress with your mind." My eyes dragged over her body, staying a second longer on her full tits. "Not just your body."

Crack.

Her palm snapped across my cheek. Sharp, fast. I barely felt it.

She leaned in, voice low, thick with sothing hot and dangerous. "I’ll make you eat your words."

I didn’t move. Didn’t blink. Instead, I closed the last sliver of space between us. Her breath hitched as our bodies brushed.

"I can’t wait to."

Her lips parted, just slightly, just enough for to drink in the way her chest rose and fell.

Her glare thickened, unwavering, but the air between us sizzled. Ah. There it was. That intoxicating mix of defiance and barely restrained heat.

I leaned even closer. Slow. Deliberate. She backed up instinctively. Until she couldn’t. The desk pressed into her hips, my body into hers.

"Kael," she warned, her hand pressing against my chest. But I caught the slight tremor in her fingers.

She was already unraveling.

She let out a breath, laced with disdain. "Shouldn’t you be giving so of your attention to your loyal bird? She’s been itching for you and taking it out on ."

"Mia?" I exhaled sharply, amused. "I thought you already figured it out. We’re done." My hands flattened against the desk, caging her in. "I finally found what I was looking for."

She scoffed, chin tilting up in defiance. "Oh, and I should feel special?"

Her words were ant to cut, but all I saw was the way her dark curls frad her face, the way her chest rose with each breath. Gorgeous.

I smirked. "You don’t have to."

I held her gaze, savoring it like a slow burn—like a rare, expensive wine. And fuck, I wasn’t ready to let go. Not now. Not when she was looking at like this.

My fingers brushed along her waist, light, teasing. "Because I won’t hesitate to cut you off if you turn out to be a waste of my ti."

Her eyes narrowed. "You really don’t have to worry about that."

She leaned in, voice dropping to a venomous whisper. "I’d rather be strapped to a bomb and blown to pieces before I ever fall for a beast like you."

An insult. Sharp and intentional. But I just smirked.

Our breaths mingled, her chest rising and falling a little too fast. I dipped my head lower, lips hovering over the curve of her neck.

"Be a good girl, Aria," I murmured.

Her whole body tensed. "I already told you not call that," she growled. "Or I’ll claw off your face."

I chuckled against her skin, feeling her try so hard to fight how much she wanted this.

Her hands pressed against my chest again as if to push away, but before she could, I grabbed her by the thighs and lifted her onto the desk, forcing her legs around .

Her breath hitched. My grip tightened.

"Do you have a thing for fucking inside an office?" she challenged, voice breathy, teasing, and pissed off all at once.

I leaned in, lips brushing her ear. "Are you eager to find out?"

I pulled her closer—flush against . Her skirt bunched up completely, exposing the curve of her ass under her leggings. My hands found their way there, squeezing, kneading.

She let out sothing between a gasp and a curse, but I didn’t give her ti to collect herself before I started kissing down her neck. Her collarbone. Her shoulder. Every inch of her skin that was mine to take.

Then—

A knock. The sharp quick thud. I knew whose it was.

Aria tensed, her nails sunk into my shoulders but I didn’t stop. Instead, my mouth devoured her skin up to her earlobe. My hands gripped her even harder, pressing her against .

Her breath was ragged, hands threading into my hair before she yanked my face up to hers, eyes blazing.

"If soone walks in on us," she said, voice dripping with warning, "I will make sure no one walks out alive—including myself. I an it."

Her words made smirk. This woman. She really was amusing.

I finally pulled back, smoothing down her skirt like I hadn’t just been seconds away from ruining it.

"Prove your worth Aria," I murmured, stepping back completely, the ghost of a smirk still on my lips. "It’ll be a sha to prove right again."

I turned toward the door just as it clicked open.

Now the real fun began.