Chapter 28: Tangled Desires

If Easton could come in, it meant the door had been unlocked.

Ellis quickly tidied her bangs, walked around him, and reached for her bag on the sofa, ready to leave. But as she bent down to grab it, she felt an unfamiliar warmth behind her, followed by a weight that pushed her onto the sofa, making her head spin.

The dizziness gradually faded and was replaced by a heat far more intense than the one before her shower. Ellis looked up at Easton’s body over her, and she felt her body heating up even more. She was on the edge of losing control; her skin ached for his touch.

Am I out of my mind? She thought.

Ellis had been forced to attend the party. She wasn’t here for Easton, nor had she intended to get involved with him tonight.

She tried to sit up, but Easton kept her firmly pinned down. His usually unreadable eyes now carried the sharp gaze of a hunter locked onto its prey, revealing exactly what he was thinking. With his left hand, he grasped both of her wrists, while his right hand gently brushed aside the strands of hair from her face.

Ellis frowned and asked, “What are you doing?”

“What am I doing?” repeated Easton, laughing as if she had just made a joke. “Acting all high and mighty doesn’t suit you; playing these petty and shameless tricks is more your style.”

As he spoke, his body radiated heat, and he pressed her down even more firmly. If he hadn’t developed some self-control over the years, he wouldn’t have been able to speak to her so calmly now.

Ellis was confused. What is he even talking about? She struggled against him and said, “You’re the one being petty and shameless! I haven’t done anything to you, so why are you pinning me down? Let me go!”

“Stop playing innocent!” Easton lifted her chin and tilted her face so she was forced to meet his gaze. “You’ve made enough fuss about the divorce, but since no one’s giving you a way out, don’t bother pulling the same tricks again. If you try to provoke me again, it won’t do you any good.”

This was the second time in his life that he’d found himself in this situation.

“What?” Ellis was confused.

“Get it done in half an hour,” Easton commanded, his weight still pinning her down. His voice was as authoritative as ever, leaving Ellis stunned in silence.

It didn’t take long for her to understand what he meant. Easton got up from her and sat on the sofa like a king on his throne. He glanced at his lap and then at her, clearly indicating what he wanted.

Ellis didn’t catch on at first, but then her eyes flickered downward. When she realized what she was seeing, everything clicked.

She suddenly remembered the soreness in her mouth from before and instinctively covered her mouth.

Ellis was furious and snapped at him, “You’re out of your mind! I’ve already asked for a divorce; your needs are no longer my problem! What do you want from me? A man like you should have an entourage catering to you, not act like some desperate fool here.”

“You drugged me, and now you refuse to face the consequences?” replied Easton, his brows furrowing. In one swift motion, he wrapped his large hands around her waist and pulled her towards him, pushing her head down and saying, “Hurry up!”

Drugged? Even through her confusion, Ellis could sense that something was off. With the lingering heat in her body and how Emma had locked her in the room earlier, the puzzle pieces slowly came together, and it all made sense now. Emma must’ve drugged both her and Easton. How else could she explain her strange condition, or why Easton was so convinced she had drugged him?

Ellis shook off his grip on her waist with force and sat up straight, raising her chin defiantly, “I didn’t drug you! I don’t have time for that nonsense.”

“Stop pretending. If it wasn’t you, who else could it be?” said Easton sarcastically. He reached out with his hand, gripping her chin as his eyes raked over her from head to toe, his gaze smoldering with desire.

Ellis had just showered, and the soft, elegant scent of her body wash still lingered on her. Her long hair fell loosely around her shoulders. Her small, delicate face glistened with droplets of water. Her lips, flushed like ripe cherries, were irresistibly tempting. Her porcelain white skin was wrapped in loose loungewear. Her earlier struggles with Easton had caused the neckline to slip, revealing her beautifully shaped collarbone and her bare shoulders. With him towering over her, the downward angle gave him a clear view of the alluring curves hidden beneath her clothes.

Thinking about how they hadn’t been intimate for two months, Easton remembered how Ellis once tried to seduce him, like a bunny baiting a hunter. Though he had ignored her advances then, she’d always found ways to catch his attention. Now, with the influence of the drug, his desire for her grew bigger than before.

With his arms wide open, he pulled her into his embrace, with his lips aimed directly at hers. Just before the kiss, his fingertips traced along her back as he said, “Take good care of me tonight and I won’t hold it against you for drugging me. Otherwise…”

The pause from Easton didn’t give Ellis any room for imagination.

Ellis was livid; her temper was rising with the heat in her body. She tried to break free from his embrace and said, “Take care of you. I told you, I wasn’t the one who drugged you!”

Easton slightly tightened his grip, making it impossible for her to escape. Ellis could only glare at him with anger, unable to break free.