I pressed my forehead to hers, breathing hard. The need in me was so strong, it hurt.
“Tell me you’re mine,” I growled.
Her mouth trembled. “Onyx…”
My fist tightened in her hair, pulling her head back. I slid my other hand up her throat, resting my thumb under her jaw and holding her steady while I kissed her again. “Say it,” I grunted against her lips before nibbling on the bottom one.
“I’m yours,” she whispered.
Stillness washed over me, and the turmoil inside me went quiet. It was like the world had been upside down and finally righted itself.
Then the passion and possession detonated, and I was lost to my basest, most primal desires. It wasn’t long before we were tearing at our clothes and feasting on each other’s mouths.
At last, my hands glided along her smooth, hot skin, cupping her ass as I lined up my cock and?—
Fuck!
I woke up with my breath ragged and a cock hard enough to cut diamonds. My sheets were twisted around my legs like I’d been tossing and turning in my sleep. As I stared into the dark, my hands clenched at my sides, and my jaw clenched so tight it hurt.
The dream didn’t fade. It clung to me, vivid and hot. Feeling so damn real.
I slowly dragged a hand over my face, willing my heart rate to slow and my breathing to return to normal.
Fantasies. Obsession. Possession.
I’d never experienced anything like this before. Then Elena Dane walked into my world.
My body had already decided that she belonged to me, and my brain was quickly coming to agree.
I swung my legs over the side of the bed and stood, the cool air hitting my skin. I paced, trying to burn off the energy that had nowhere to go.
My brothers were gonna have a fucking field day giving me shit after all I’d dished out to them when they met their old ladies.
The pacing didn’t help. All I could see were her eyes, glazed with passion. I could almost taste her mouth. My hands felt empty without her curves to hold on to.
And under it all, deeper than the heat and the hunger, was that same brutal truth I’d tried to ignore since the moment I stepped out of my office and saw her standing beside Ink.
I wanted Elena.
And I was going to claim her.
3
ELENA
Jareth’s studio sat tucked above a row of quiet storefronts in the historic Marietta Square area, about forty minutes from my apartment. I climbed the narrow stairs and let myself in with the spare key he’d given me months ago, the familiar hush settling around me the moment the door closed.
It was all clean lines, white walls, and carefully curated light. The complete opposite of Hellbound Studio.
This space made sense to me. It always had. The rules were clear, and so were my mentor’s expectations. Whatever newness working with Onyx had stirred up in me, this was still my baseline.
I’d been apprenticing with him for a couple of days now. Just long enough to start finding my footing and realize how much adjusting it required. My attraction to him was a big part of the learning curve because he was on my mind too much.
I pushed the thought aside, annoyed with myself. This wasn’t the place for distractions.
Jareth emerged from the back room moments later, his sleeves rolled neatly to his elbows. He smiled when he saw me. “Elena.”
Whatever else was changing, this part of my world still felt solid. “Hey, Jareth.”
