SULTRY INFERNO: His Command, Her Temptation

Seraphina stirred her hot chocolate absently, eyes glued to her book, while she literally escaped from the world around her.

She’s petite, with soft curves and her dark long curls fell loosely around her face, giving her an innocent look.

At nineteen, she still had a touch of youthful shyness in her behavior.

Her reserved attitude was a quality that made her enjoy the cozy but upscale café that late afternoon.

She was barely aware of the other people around but as she reached for her cup, a deep voice startled her out of her daydream.

“Mind if I sit here?”

Looking up, her heart skipped a beat when her eyes landed on the man standing beside her table.

He was tall— so tall— well over six feet, with a muscular but not overly bulky build and tattoos peeking out from under the sleeve of his dark shirt.

“Oh... um... sure,” she stammered, suddenly feeling ‘very’ small.

He pulled out the chair in front of her and sat down, without taking his eyes off her for a second.

Then she realised, with an uncomfortable flutter of whatnot in her stomach, that he was handsome.

“You come here often,” he stated, saying it like it was a fact he was sure of, while he studied her.

Seraphina blinked, tightening her small hands around her book.

“I... I do, actually. It’s a nice, quiet place.”

He chuckled; a low sound that sounded sweet to her ears.

“Not many people notice quiet spaces these days. They’re too busy... existing. But you’re different, aren’t you?”

Her face heats up.

“I don’t know what you mean.”

He leaned back, one arm draped casually over the back of his chair.

“I think you do.”

They both fell silent for a moment but in that quiet while, as she pretended to have gone back to her reading, she felt his gaze on her.

Finally, she gathered some courage to say something, looking up from her open book.

“So... Do you come here often?”

“From time to time,” he answered.

“But today, I came here for you.”

That confused her, “For... for me?”

He replied, giving her a slow smile.

¿_- Oh it's beautiful, that smile. -_¿ She thinks.

“I noticed you the last few times I was here. You stand out, Seraphina.”

Hearing her name from his lips made her jolt; she hadn’t mentioned her name to him and she was sure of it.

“How do you know my name?”

"Knowing things is how I stay ahead."

Worried and confused, her eyes drift down to her mug of hot chocolate and she then; her name was written on it with a paper tag.

“Who are you?” She decided to ask, afterall, he had just scared the hell out of her.

Letting go of the back of the chair he sat on, he leaned forward, close enough that she could feel his body heat roll off him.

… And his scent—leather and a cologne she couldn't name — wafted into her nostrils.

“Vnox,” he says calmly.

“But you can call me Nox.”

She didn't see the difference between both pronunciations but felt a thrill at the sound of his name.

Vnox.

The name was as unique as the man himself.

“What... what do you do?” She voiced, trying not to oogle him.

“Business. I run multiple chains of businesses.”

His answer was vague, almost purposefully so, making her not to press further.

“Oh, that sounds... intense.”

“They can be,” he replied, studying her reaction carefully.

“But I’m drawn to intensity. It makes life more interesting.”

She found herself unable to look away from him, especially his eyes — Onyx, stormy eyes.

He was definitely a walking red flag.

“What about you, Seraphina? What’s a quiet, thoughtful girl like you doing here?”

“Oh, I’m... I’m a student,” she answered, nervously tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

“Art history. I’m still in school.”

“Art history,” he mused.

“Fascinating subject. A study of beauty and darkness, wouldn’t you agree?”

She nodded, a bit taken aback by his understanding of it; not many did.

“Yes, actually... it is.”

A ghost of a smile touched his lips, “Tell me. Do you believe that beauty can exist without darkness?”

His question throws her off, but she immediately finds herself thinking about it.

“I... I’m not sure,” she admitted.

“I suppose they might complement each other.”

He gave her a slow nod, almost as if she’d passed some sort of intellectual test.

“You see the world differently,” he says.

“That’s what makes you... interesting.”

She could feel her cheeks flush, but she kept her eyes on him, thinking.

¿_- I want to know more about this strange man. -_¿

Vnox relaxed his back on the seat again, folding his arms across his chest.

“We’ll be seeing each other again.”

Her eyes widened.

“I... I don’t think—” she started but didn't finish as he held up a hand;

“We will, Seraphina. It’s inevitable.”

She wasn't sure how to respond to that, especially to how oddly sure he was.

But before she could find her words, he stood up, towering over her.

Even if she stood up, her 5’2 height would still be dwarfed by him.

“Goodbye,” she says, in the stead of anything else she probably should have said.

“For now,” he added.

Those onyx eyes linger on her blue ones for a while before he turned and left.

_

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Seraphina was back home at her parents apartment, but she couldn't get over the café scene from her mind, even now that hours had passed and it was evening.

Vnox’s presence, his deep voice, the way he seemed to see through her.

¿_- Why can’t I stop thinking about him? -_¿

She was staring blankly at her nails, not actually looking at them or the books beside her which she was supposed to read.

Then her phone buzzed.

It was a message from an unknown number and clicked on it to view the message.

> “Sleep well, Seraphina,” It read.

She was baffled; how did he get her number, wait, was it even him?

“It must be”, she mused, biting at her lips.

“He did say he likes to knows things."

¿_- Still he could have typed ‘hi’ and introduced himself or asked for my number earlier, like a normal person. -_¿

There’s a soft knock on her window.

“Hello?” she called; not like anyone would answer, it was mostly likely a stray cat.

Walking over, she opens up the window, but doesn't see anyone.

Only a single black rose lies on the outside sill with a note beside it.

Picking both of the items up, she feels the softness of the rose's velvety petals between her fingers.

Unfolding the note, she read aloud:

“Until we meet again.”