The silence in the car was thick.
Elijah wasn't sure if it was the tension in Dominic's voice, the heat of his gaze, or the fact that for once, the mafia boss wasn't barking orders—he was admitting something.
"But I want to."
That sentence played over in Elijah's head like a broken record, setting off warning bells he tried to ignore.
He should laugh it off. Tease Dominic. Push back.
But instead, all he could do was stare.
Dominic exhaled heavily, dragging a hand through his hair as if frustrated with himself. "Get out of the car, Elijah."
Elijah blinked. "What?"
"We're here."
Elijah turned his head, realizing they had stopped in front of Dominic's estate. He hadn't even noticed.
Elijah hesitated for a moment before stepping out of the car. The second he did, Dominic was behind him, moving too close, too fast.
Before Elijah could react, Dominic grabbed his wrist—not harshly, but with purpose.
Elijah's pulse jumped. "The hell is your problem?"
Dominic didn't answer. Instead, he pushed Elijah against the car, trapping him between the cold metal and his own body.
"Say it again," Dominic murmured, voice dangerously low. "Say I don't own you."
Elijah swallowed. His body reacted before his brain could catch up, his breath coming quicker, his skin heating under Dominic's intense stare.
"I—"
Dominic's fingers brushed along his jaw, tilting his chin up. His touch was deliberate, slow, like he was savoring the moment.
"You push me," Dominic muttered, voice barely above a whisper. "You test me. Do you like seeing me like this, Elijah?"
Elijah opened his mouth to respond, but Dominic didn't give him the chance.
Lips crashed together.
It wasn't soft. It wasn't sweet. It was pure, raw dominance.
Elijah made a muffled noise of protest, but Dominic didn't care. His fingers curled into Elijah's hair, pulling him closer, devouring him.
Elijah should resist. He should shove Dominic away, remind him that he wasn't some possession to be claimed.
But he didn't.
Because for the first time, he wasn't sure if he wanted to fight it.
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