Chapter 1268
The call disconnected.
Jerrick stared at his phone, then at the undelivered cake, and exhaled slowly.
How on earth had he ever let a shared last name trick him into thinking that terrifying force of nature, Serena, was his sweet, delicate little sister?
He let out a breathless chuckle.
It was definitely time to carve out a moment and officially introduce himself to his real sister.
The night deepened.
Inside the penthouse suite of the Skyline Hotel, warm ambient lighting cast a soft, tranquil glow across the room.
Serena had just stepped out of the shower.
A cloud of fragrant steam followed her as she opened the bathroom door.
She wore a loosely tied silk robe.
Her raven hair was damp, tiny droplets of water trailing down the luminous skin of her neck.
The post-shower flush only heightened her breathtaking features, lending her an effortless, sultry allure.
Toweling her hair slowly, she made her way toward the sofa.
Her phone buzzed on the coffee table.
It was a video call from Nicholas Blackwood.
Serena arched a brow and swiped to answer.
The screen flickered to life.
As she glanced at the display, her hand paused mid-motion.
On the other end, Nicholas had clearly just stepped out of the shower himself.
He was lounging in a dark gray bathrobe that hung precariously loose.
The deep V of the collar bared a generous stretch of flawless skin.
Showcasing sculpted collarbones, powerful pectorals, and defined, rigid abs… Everything was on full display.
The man was already devastatingly handsome, with striking features and deeply alluring eyes. Under the ambient lighting, the sharp lines of his shoulders and chest looked like they belonged on a magazine cover.
His relaxed, careless posture radiated a suffocating wave of pure, predatory magnetism.
He was peacocking, and he knew exactly what he was doing.
Serena stared at the screen for two seconds before a knowing, teasing smirk touched her lips.
Without an ounce of shyness, she let her gaze travel slowly from his collarbones down.
Taking in every inch of his taut midsection.
It was a deliberate, utterly brazen appraisal.
To Nicholas, however p>
That look alone was enough to set his blood on fire.
His breath hitched, growing heavy in his chest.
Serena sank into the sofa, crossing her long legs in an elegant display of comfort.
She continued to dry her damp hair
her tone lazily amused. “What air you doing putting on a show aret
like
that
through a screen?
Her voice carried a seductive lilt. “Playing with fire like this… you’re going to end up burning yourself p>
Nicholas had fully intended to use his physical appeal to distract the little heartless one.
He hadn’t expected her to turn the tables so effortlessly.
His piercing gaze locked onto her through the camera, the intensity in his eyes growing dangerously dark.
While his display was calculated.
Hers was entirely natural.
Her radiant complexion carried a soft, rosy flush. As she moved her towel, the neckline of her silk robe slipped just enough to reveal the
smooth curve of her neck and a
tantalizing hint of cleavage.
A stray drop of water slid from her hair, disappearing beneath the silk, making his
chest tighten painfully.
It was maddeningly provocative.
Yet, she acted entirely oblivious.
Leaning back with that wicked little
smirk sh
xicating than any net
was infinitely more
any deliberate
attempt at seduction.
A masterclass in effortless temptation.
Nicholas’s Adam’s apple bobbed sharply.
The stifling heat radiating from his side of the screen was palpable.
A single, careless motion from her had every ounce of his restraint threatening to
shatter.
He was dangerously close to losing his mind.