Sweet Hatred
Chapter 49: Played by the Devil.

Chapter 49: Played by the Devil.

"Mr. Roman," the concierge greeted him with a practiced smile. "Everything is prepared for your stay. Shall we proceed with the arrangements for Kyoto tomorrow?"

Kael, as always, remained composed. "Yes. I’ll leave the details to you."

I stood slightly behind, watching as everything unfolded like clockwork. The concierge handed me a folder containing train schedules and restaurant recommendations. At that moment, the reality of my role settled in.

A glorified secretary.

If that was the case, Mia should have been here, not me. But I knew my complaints were futile.

"Shall we head to our room?" Kael’s voice cut through my thoughts.

Of course, he made sure we shared a room. Memories from our last trip resurfaced, but I shoved them away. I was playing his game, dancing to his tune, and the slow realization of it all pissed me off.

I glanced at him briefly before nodding. "Yes, of course."

He smirked, taking the lead. I followed, wondering what he had planned next.

At the back of my mind, the letter lingered—a mystery begging to be solved. I knew my life could be in danger, but strangely, I wasn’t too worried about it. "Work first," I told myself. The rest could come later.

The suite was breathtaking, but I refused to gawk at it like some starry-eyed outsider. I was tired of constantly reminding Kael that I didn’t belong in his world.

Shortly after settling in, Kael stepped into the shower while I took a small tour of the suite. I stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows, admiring the sprawling cityscape, when I felt his presence behind me.

Kael.

He leaned in close, caging me against the glass before I could move. "Do you like what you see?" he whispered, his breath warm against my ear, his damp skin pressing into mine.

I stiffened. "What are you doing?" I asked, willing myself to sound unaffected.

He didn’t answer. One of his hands slid beneath my shirt. Instinctively, I turned to meet his gaze. His damp hair clung to his face, and his green eyes flickered with something unreadable.

"Am I just some convenient woman for you to touch whenever you please?" I challenged, my brows knitting together.

His eyes widened slightly—surprised, maybe—before they darkened.

"Wasn’t that what you signed up for?"

My stomach knotted. His words hit harder than a punch. Every time I forgot what an asshole he was, he was quick to remind me.

My expression smoothed over. He was painfully right. And yet, I was the one who kept forgetting.

"You’re absolutely right, Kael." My tone was as sharp as his. I inched closer, my breath brushing against his lips. "But that doesn’t mean I’ll let you do as you please."

His smirk deepened. "That makes it more fun, doesn’t it?" He stepped even closer, his green eyes glowing with something dark and dangerous. "Don’t make it easy for me."

His lips hovered over mine, and my breath hitched, betraying me.

Then, his fingers trailed down my spine, tracing fire over my skin before slipping beneath my skirt. His grip tightened around my thigh, pinning me against the glass. The heat of his touch seeped into me, and butterflies erupted in my stomach.

"My marks on your skin faded too quickly," he murmured, his lips grazing the curve of my neck before his teeth followed."Maybe I should go deeper."

I pressed a hand against his chest to push him away, but it was useless. I shoved harder, forcing him to meet my gaze.

"If you’re going to act like a damn dog," I snapped, irritation sizzling through me, "then do it somewhere others won’t have to see."

Kael’s smirk widened. Without warning, he dropped to his knees, his hands sliding up my thighs, pushing my skirt higher.

My heart lurched—more excitement than fear. "What are you doing?" I asked breathlessly.

"Obeying you, of course."

His hands roamed higher, his touch igniting every nerve in my body. Then—a sharp, sweet sting. His teeth sank into my thigh, followed by a slow, lingering kiss.

I gasped, swallowing hard. This devil had just awakened something inside me—something I craved more than my mind could keep up with. He lifted one of my legs over his shoulder, exposing me further. The heat of his breath fanned against my already aching core.

Kael smirked against my skin, his tongue flicking out to soothe another bite before trailing more kisses along the sensitive flesh.

"One here..." Another bite, sharper this time, followed by a slow, deliberate suck that sent heat rushing between my legs. "And here..." His mouth moved closer and closer to my pussy that it clenched hard at the feel of his breath.

My breath hitched as his teeth scraped against my inner thigh once again before sinking in, marking me deeply.

I shuddered, my fingers fisting into his damp hair, torn between pushing him away and dragging him closer.

Kael chuckled darkly, his breath hot against my skin. "Don’t act like you don’t love it."

Then, his fingers pressed against my soaked panties, teasing me, circling around my sensitive peak.

A moan tore from my lips—loud and embarrassing. We weren’t even doing anything serious, yet I was already unraveling. I could feel myself dripping—shamelessly silently begging for more.

He pressed harder, sliding his fingers, making my breath shudder as he dragged more pleasure out of me and then—

He stopped.

Kael smirked, his breath hot against my skin. "Get ready for dinner in two hours."

And just like that, he stood, turned around, and walked away—like nothing had happened.

I stood there, dazed. My skirt was still bunched around my waist, my legs weak, my insides throbbing with unfulfilled need.

The devil played me. And he played me damn well.

God, Aria. You are so fucking weak. I bit my lower lip smoothing my skirt. I knew my agreement was to lose to him but I couldn’t take it anymore.

I knew I needed a way to win and fast. I wanted to wipe that smug off his face, make him plead, beg, see him helpless. And I didn’t mind if I had to pay for it later. I wanted to win.