Elijah's breath was stolen.
The kiss was fierce, demanding, nothing like he'd ever experienced before. Dominic's grip tightened, pulling him impossibly closer, as if he could fuse them together through sheer force of will.
And for a brief, dizzying moment—Elijah let him.
Let himself sink into the heat, the overwhelming intensity.
But then—reality hit.
With a sharp inhale, Elijah shoved against Dominic's chest, breaking the kiss. His heart was racing. His lips tingled from the bruising pressure, but more than anything—he felt overwhelmed.
"What the hell are you doing?" Elijah demanded, breathless.
Dominic didn't move away. His gaze was dark, hungry, but there was something else beneath it—something almost desperate.
"You don't get to do that," Elijah snapped. "You don't get to just—just take what you want like that!"
Dominic's jaw clenched. "Then stop tempting me."
Elijah stared at him, chest rising and falling rapidly. Tempting? As if this was his fault?
"You're insane," Elijah muttered, running a hand through his hair. "I'm not your property, Dominic."
Dominic exhaled sharply, dragging a hand down his face. "I know."
Elijah blinked.
He hadn't expected that.
"I know I don't own you," Dominic said, voice quieter now, almost frustrated. "But it doesn't stop me from wanting to."
Elijah's stomach flipped.
Shit.
Why did that sound so much worse?
Elijah took a slow step back, forcing distance between them. "I'm going inside."
Dominic didn't stop him. He just watched, his expression unreadable, as Elijah turned and walked toward the estate.
But Elijah could feel it—the weight of his gaze on his back, the tension between them far from over.
If anything…
It had just begun.
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