“You won’t break me,” Leia said, her voice steady despite the way her wrists strained against the bindings. The cold metal of the chair pressed into her back, but she refused to let it show—refused to let him see even a flicker of weakness.The man before her leaned against the edge of the table, his arms crossed over his chest. He was tall, with a presence that filled the room, and his sharp features were accentuated by the dim light. His dark eyes bore into hers, not with malice, but with something far more unnerving: curiosity.“Break you?” he repeated, his voice low and smooth, like honey over gravel. “Princess, I don’t want to break you. I want to understand you.”Leia’s jaw tightened. “Then you’re wasting your time. I’m not here to be understood. I’m here to escape.”A slow smile spread across his lips, and he straightened, taking a step closer. “Escape? From me? I’m flattered, truly. But let’s be honest—you’re not going anywhere.” His gaze dropped to her bound hands, then back to her face. “Unless, of course, you decide to cooperate.”She glared at him, but there was a flicker of something else beneath her defiance. He was infuriatingly confident, yes, but there was more to him than just arrogance. She could see it in the way he carried himself, the way he spoke. He wasn’t just a crime lord—he was a man who knew how to get what he wanted.And right now, what he wanted was her.---The mission had been a disaster from the start. Leia had known it was risky—any infiltration into Hutt-controlled territory was—but she hadn’t expected it to go so wrong. The intel had been bad, the timing worse. By the time she realized they were walking into a trap, it was too late. Her team had been ambushed, and she’d been separated from them within minutes.She didn’t even see him until it was over. By then, she was surrounded, her blaster ripped from her hands, and his voice cut through the chaos like a knife. “Bring her to me.”They’d dragged her to a ship, and before she knew it, she was on his private cruiser, stripped of her weaponry, and led into a room that was as opulent as it was intimidating. The walls were lined with rare artifacts, and the air smelled faintly of spice—expensive spice.He’d introduced himself as Kaeso, though the name meant nothing to her. What did mean something was the way he looked at her—like she was a puzzle he intended to solve, piece by piece.“You’re unlike anyone I’ve ever met,” he’d said, circling her slowly as she stood in the center of the room. “Brave, resourceful, and stunningly beautiful. It’s… intoxicating.”Leia had scoffed at that, but the heat in his gaze made her stomach twist. “If you think flattery will make me talk, you’re even dumber than you look.”Kaeso had chuckled, low and deep. “Oh, Princess, this isn’t flattery. It’s the truth.”Now, hours later, he was still circling her, but the dynamic had shifted. He wasn’t just trying to intimidate her—he was testing her, pushing her to see how far she’d go before she cracked.And, to her growing frustration, she wasn’t entirely sure she wouldn’t.---“You think I’m just going to sit here and let you play your games?” Leia asked, raising an eyebrow. Her voice was steady, but her pulse was racing. She hated how much he unnerved her—how much she let him unnerve her.Kaeso tilted his head, his smile widening. “Games? This isn’t a game, Princess. This is…” He paused, considering his words. “An opportunity. For both of us.”She narrowed her eyes. “An opportunity for what, exactly?”He took another step closer, and this time, he was within arm’s reach. She could smell the faint scent of his cologne—something warm and woodsy—and it made her stomach flutter in a way she didn’t want to acknowledge.“An opportunity to explore something… unexpected,” he said, his voice dropping to a near whisper. He reached out, brushing a strand of hair from her face, and she froze. His fingertips lingered against her cheek, his touch surprisingly gentle. “You feel it too, don’t you? This pull between us.”Leia’s breath caught in her throat. She wanted to deny it—wanted to scream at him to get away from her—but the words wouldn’t come. Because he was right. There was something between them, something she couldn’t explain or ignore.But that didn’t mean she had to give in to it.She jerked her head away, breaking contact. “Don’t touch me.”Kaeso’s smile didn’t falter. “Ah, there’s that fire. I was starting to think you’d lost it.” He leaned down slightly, his face inches from hers. “But I know better, don’t I? I know there’s more to you than just a pretty face and a sharp tongue.”Leia’s heart was pounding now, and she hated how much he was getting to her. She could feel the heat radiating off him, and it was making it hard to think straight. “If you think you can manipulate me into—”Before she could finish, he cut her off with a kiss.It was sudden and unexpected, and for a moment, she was too shocked to react. His lips were soft but insistent, and despite herself, she felt a spark of something she hadn’t felt in a long time. Her body betrayed her, leaning into the kiss before she could stop herself.But then reality came crashing back, and she pulled away, glaring at him. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”Kaeso’s grin was positively wicked. “Testing a theory.”“And what theory is that?”He straightened, his eyes gleaming with amusement. “That you’re not as immune to me as you pretend to be.”Leia’s cheeks burned, but she refused to look away. “You’re delusional.”“Am I?” he asked, his voice low and teasing. He reached out again, this time trailing a finger along the edge of her jaw. “Because you didn’t exactly fight me off.”She swallowed hard, her mind racing. He was dangerous—not just because of who he was, but because of how he made her feel. And that, more than anything, scared her.“Let me go,” she said, though her voice lacked its usual conviction.Kaeso’s smile softened, and for a moment, he looked almost… regretful. “I wish I could, Princess. But you and I both know it’s not that simple.”She opened her mouth to argue, but before she could, he leaned in again, his lips brushing against her ear. “But I promise you this,” he whispered, his breath hot against her skin. “I’m not your enemy. And if you let me, I’ll show you just how good we could be together.”Leia’s breath hitched, and she knew, deep down, that she was in trouble. Because as much as she wanted to hate him, as much as she wanted to fight him, there was a part of her that wanted to see where this would go.And that was the most dangerous thing of all.

Leia, captured and bound, faces off against Kaeso, a man who claims he wants to understand her rather than break her. Kaeso, confident and intriguing, tests Leia's resolve with his words and actions, ultimately kissing her against her will. Despite her defiance, Leia feels an unexpected connection to Kaeso, leaving her conflicted and troubled.

“You won’t break me,” Leia said, her voice steady despite the way her wrists strained against the bindings. The cold metal of the chair pressed into her back, but she refused to let it show—refused to let him see even a flicker of weakness.

The man before her leaned against the edge of the table, his arms crossed over his chest. He was tall, with a presence that filled the room, and his sharp features were accentuated by the dim light. His dark eyes bore into hers, not with malice, but with something far more unnerving: _curiosity_.

“Break you?” he repeated, his voice low and smooth, like honey over gravel. “Princess, I don’t want to break you. I want to understand you.”

Leia’s jaw tightened. “Then you’re wasting your time. I’m not here to be understood. I’m here to escape.”

A slow smile spread across his lips, and he straightened, taking a step closer. “Escape? From me? I’m flattered, truly. But let’s be honest—you’re not going anywhere.” His gaze dropped to her bound hands, then back to her face. “Unless, of course, you decide to cooperate.”

She glared at him, but there was a flicker of something else beneath her defiance. He was infuriatingly confident, yes, but there was more to him than just arrogance. She could see it in the way he carried himself, the way he spoke. He wasn’t just a crime lord—he was a man who knew how to get what he wanted.

And right now, _what he wanted was her_.

---

The mission had been a disaster from the start. Leia had known it was risky—any infiltration into Hutt-controlled territory was—but she hadn’t expected it to go so wrong. The intel had been bad, the timing worse. By the time she realized they were walking into a trap, it was too late. Her team had been ambushed, and she’d been separated from them within minutes.

She didn’t even see him until it was over. By then, she was surrounded, her blaster ripped from her hands, and his voice cut through the chaos like a knife. “Bring her to me.”

They’d dragged her to a ship, and before she knew it, she was on his private cruiser, stripped of her weaponry, and led into a room that was as opulent as it was intimidating. The walls were lined with rare artifacts, and the air smelled faintly of spice—expensive spice.

He’d introduced himself as Kaeso, though the name meant nothing to her. What did mean something was the way he looked at her—like she was a puzzle he intended to solve, piece by piece.

“You’re unlike anyone I’ve ever met,” he’d said, circling her slowly as she stood in the center of the room. “Brave, resourceful, and stunningly beautiful. It’s… intoxicating.”

Leia had scoffed at that, but the heat in his gaze made her stomach twist. “If you think flattery will make me talk, you’re even dumber than you look.”

Kaeso had chuckled, low and deep. “Oh, Princess, this isn’t flattery. It’s the truth.”

Now, hours later, he was still circling her, but the dynamic had shifted. He wasn’t just trying to intimidate her—he was testing her, pushing her to see how far she’d go before she cracked.

And, to her growing frustration, she wasn’t entirely sure she wouldn’t.

---

“You think I’m just going to sit here and let you play your games?” Leia asked, raising an eyebrow. Her voice was steady, but her pulse was racing. She hated how much he unnerved her—how much she let him unnerve her.

Kaeso tilted his head, his smile widening. “Games? This isn’t a game, Princess. This is…” He paused, considering his words. “An opportunity. For both of us.”

She narrowed her eyes. “An opportunity for what, exactly?”

He took another step closer, and this time, he was within arm’s reach. She could smell the faint scent of his cologne—something warm and woodsy—and it made her stomach flutter in a way she didn’t want to acknowledge.

“An opportunity to explore something… unexpected,” he said, his voice dropping to a near whisper. He reached out, brushing a strand of hair from her face, and she froze. His fingertips lingered against her cheek, his touch surprisingly gentle. “You feel it too, don’t you? This pull between us.”

Leia’s breath caught in her throat. She wanted to deny it—wanted to scream at him to get away from her—but the words wouldn’t come. Because he was right. There _was_ something between them, something she couldn’t explain or ignore.

But that didn’t mean she had to give in to it.

She jerked her head away, breaking contact. “Don’t touch me.”

Kaeso’s smile didn’t falter. “Ah, there’s that fire. I was starting to think you’d lost it.” He leaned down slightly, his face inches from hers. “But I know better, don’t I? I know there’s more to you than just a pretty face and a sharp tongue.”

Leia’s heart was pounding now, and she hated how much he was getting to her. She could feel the heat radiating off him, and it was making it hard to think straight. “If you think you can manipulate me into—”

Before she could finish, he cut her off with a kiss.

It was sudden and unexpected, and for a moment, she was too shocked to react. His lips were soft but insistent, and despite herself, she felt a spark of something she hadn’t felt in a long time. Her body betrayed her, leaning into the kiss before she could stop herself.

But then reality came crashing back, and she pulled away, glaring at him. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

Kaeso’s grin was positively wicked. “Testing a theory.”

“And what theory is that?”

He straightened, his eyes gleaming with amusement. “That you’re not as immune to me as you pretend to be.”

Leia’s cheeks burned, but she refused to look away. “You’re delusional.”

“Am I?” he asked, his voice low and teasing. He reached out again, this time trailing a finger along the edge of her jaw. “Because you didn’t exactly fight me off.”

She swallowed hard, her mind racing. He was dangerous—not just because of who he was, but because of how he made her feel. And that, more than anything, scared her.

“Let me go,” she said, though her voice lacked its usual conviction.

Kaeso’s smile softened, and for a moment, he looked almost… regretful. “I wish I could, Princess. But you and I both know it’s not that simple.”

She opened her mouth to argue, but before she could, he leaned in again, his lips brushing against her ear. “But I promise you this,” he whispered, his breath hot against her skin. “I’m not your enemy. And if you let me, I’ll show you just how _good_ we could be together.”

Leia’s breath hitched, and she knew, deep down, that she was in trouble. Because as much as she wanted to hate him, as much as she wanted to fight him, there was a part of her that wanted to see where this would go.

And _that_ was the most dangerous thing of all.

A captured princess, bound and defiant, finds herself at the mercy of a handsome and enigmatic crime lord. The power dynamics shift as she grapples with her desire for him amidst her struggle for freedom, exploring themes of captivity, forbidden attraction, and the blurred lines between captor and captive.

Captive Princess, Forbidden Desire

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