Elijah knew he should push Dominic away. He knew it.
But his body wouldn't move.
Dominic was too close, his presence overwhelming, his scent drowning Elijah's thoughts. That damn smirk on his lips—like he already knew he was winning.
And Elijah hated it.
So he did the only thing he could think of.
He laughed.
Dominic's smirk faltered for just a second. "Something funny?"
Elijah tilted his head, eyes gleaming with challenge. "Yeah. You."
Dominic's jaw clenched, but Elijah wasn't done.
"You act like you own me, Moretti. Like saying 'you're mine' actually means something." Elijah leaned in just a little, his lips almost brushing Dominic's ear. "But you can't own something that doesn't belong to you."
Dominic froze.
Elijah saw it—that brief flicker of something dangerous in his eyes before he masked it with an infuriatingly calm expression.
"Is that what you think?" Dominic murmured, his breath hot against Elijah's skin.
Elijah swallowed, refusing to let his body react. "That's what I know."
Dominic let out a low, amused hum. "Alright, Eli."
Elijah hated how his stomach flipped when Dominic said his name like that.
Dominic slowly stepped back, giving him space.
That should've been a relief.
But it wasn't.
The heat, the tension, the suffocating pull between them—it was suddenly gone.
Elijah felt colder without it.
Dominic's expression was unreadable. "Go ahead, then. Do whatever you want. Talk to Matteo. See what happens."
Elijah frowned. "What?"
Dominic turned away, his voice casual—but Elijah knew better.
"You want to test me? Fine. Go play your little games, Elijah." He met Elijah's gaze one last time, something dark swirling in his eyes. "Just don't come crying to me when you realize you're playing with fire."
And then—Dominic walked away.
Elijah stood frozen, heart pounding in his chest.
This was what he wanted, right? To push Dominic away? To make him back off?
So why did it feel like he had just lost something?
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