"Uncharted Desires: The Enigma of Eirik and Cress"

"Myfreedom?" I hissed through tight lips. "Living a normal life is not a privilege. It's my right."

"No, it's not. We're not a normal family, Cress. Let's not pretend you haven't always known the difference. I need you to do this. It's important. If there were any other way,

But there isn't.

He offered a silent apology, and just like that, my life was changing.

FIVE

Eirik

"You going to explain what the fuck just happened back there?"

"You were there, Ez. You're well aware of what happened."

"You demanded to marry Cress. That part is clear. I would like to know why."

I saw her last night, and something in me changed. I have never felt calm in my life before, and I'd never spoken one word to the woman. I felt that same calm when she entered Christian's office. Before I knew it was her, I felt that it was her.

How the fuck could I explain that to my brother when I didn't understand it myself? I wanted Cress to go beyond something sexual. I didn't have a reason why I wanted her at the moment, but she was going to be mine for however long it took me to make sense of things.

"I gave you the reasons. If you want this to be believable, then it has to be her. Not her sister."

Ez cut his eyes my way as he navigated off their property. "Everything you said makes perfect sense, and I agree, but that has very little to do with your decision. You personally want her. Why?"

"Does the why matter, or does my agreeing matter?"

"For me, both."

His eyes were on me again. Cautious. Searching. He wouldn't see what I couldn't understand at the moment, and I didn't understand the draw I had to a woman I'd only been around a handful of times in my life. Even back then, as teens and young adults, this, what I was currently feeling, didn't exist. This was overwhelming and dangerous for a man like me. I didn't fucking care.

"That was impulsive. Are you sure?"

"My head is clear, Ez." I gave him my eyes. He couldn't read my thoughts, but he could see my stability. He'd experienced the mania enough to recognize when there was balance. Right now, I have that.

"Okay then." He was quiet for a moment. "And if she says no..."

"Then I go home."

He wanted to argue. He wouldn't because he understood that it wouldn't do him any good. I settled into the silence and embraced my thoughts.

Thoughts about her.

Last night, she danced in a room full of men. It felt like punishment, regardless of the fact that she didn't know I was there. The diamond-encrusted mask hid her identity, allowing her ambiguity. They could pass her on the street, share the same space in a coffee shop, and never be the wiser. That wasn't the same for me. I felt her. How fucking crazy was that? Maybe not as out of the box for me. My mind wasn't like others. I didn't rationalize, see, think, or feel the way most did, but I felt Cress. I needed to understand why. Marrying her would give me time and proximity to do so.

While my brother drove, I was lost in my head. The visual of Cress moving last night My breath left me with no promise of returning. Everything in me became erratic and settled at the same time. Diamonds sparkled over her body, barely covering anything. Her breasts were on display, and the valley between her thighs was shaded by a cluster of jewels but not much else. Crystals scattered her arms and legs, and the rest were randomly placed to add the illusion of being rare and exquisite. She was a rare gem.

Her movements were magic, seductive, sensual, and skillful. What I saw was freedom. On that stage last night, Cress was free. No restrictions existed. I could imagine that being a dancer all her life had created a world of control. Much like the world I lived in, but for different reasons. My disorder controlled me. The way I had to manage my bipolar was restrictive to normal life. I wondered if that meant she could understand me the way that I understood her.

"Lyle…"

I delivered a hard stare to my brother, who glanced back at me with concern. "We're here."

I glanced past him to the hotel I was staying in and offered a nod. "Are you coming up?"

"No, dinner with Sasha."

"Interesting," I murmured, and he exhaled a sigh, sinking deeper into his seat.

As I listened to Eirik's inner thoughts and struggles with his sudden, unexplainable attraction to Cress, I couldn't help but feel the complexity of the situation. Eirik's impulsive decision to marry her, driven by a mysterious pull he couldn't fully comprehend, was a stark contrast to his usual stoic demeanor.

Ezekiel, Eirik's brother, seemed to sense that there was more to this decision than met the eye. He probed Eirik about the why behind his choice, seeking understanding, but Eirik remained elusive, unable to articulate the source of his attraction to Cress. It was as if something unexplainable had taken hold of him.

The journey to the hotel was filled with tension, and the enigmatic allure of Cress continued to occupy Eirik's thoughts. Her dancing, her freedom, and her control over her body left a profound impact on him, and he couldn't shake the feeling that marrying her was somehow essential to unlocking the mystery behind his attraction.

Upon arriving at the hotel, Eirik and Ezekiel had an unspoken exchange, with Eirik choosing solitude as he contemplated his feelings and the decision he had made. The enigmatic nature of his connection to Cress remained at the forefront of his mind, leaving him with more questions than answers.

As the story unfolded, it became increasingly clear that the relationship between Eirik and Cress was not merely a matter of business or strategy but something far deeper and more intricate, as the forces of attraction and destiny pushed them together.