“Chase.”
And I pressed the button for his floor.
—
Joshua
The knock on my penthouse door was soft, hesitant, but the second I opened it, I froze.
Aurora.
Her eyes were wide, unsure, but she washere. Here, in my space. After everything I said to her, she came back to me. Allthose cruel words I spat at her, she didn’t listen. Didn’t stay away. The sharp daggers I threw at her, telling her I never wanted to see her again, she still came.
I stepped aside slowly, almost regretting letting her back in, especially after I promised myself I would keep her away… away from someone like me.
She walked in, clutching her phone to her chest like a shield, but her lips parted, trembling, as if she were trying to say something.
I shut the door, heart hammering, and pulled her closer by the wrist before I could stop myself. “Why are you here?” My voice came out low, dangerous, as if I already knew the answer.
Her eyes darted, panic flashing, lips opening and closing as though words fought to escape. “I…I—” her lips trembled as her nails dug deep into her palms.
I shifted my hand down from her wrist. “You’re hurting yourself,” I whispered, pulling her fingers away from her palm, intertwining them with mine.
“J-Joshua—”
Oh fuck.
The sound tore me apart. My whole body stiffened, blood roaring in my ears. She said it, my fucking name. The only thing in the world I would drop to my knees for, she fucking said it.
“Fuck—don’t,” I rasped, pressing my forehead against her neck, trying to breathe. “Don’t say that. You don’t know what it does to me.”
Her hands gripped my shirt tightly, knuckles white, as if she didn’t want me to pull away. Her silence used to kill me, but hearing my name fall from her lips? It was like gasoline to a fire. It made me physically tremble against her.
I inhaled her scent, my lips ghosting over her throat. Testing. Waiting for her to push me away.
She didn’t.Fuck me, she didn’t even move.
“You don’t get it, Aurora,” I whispered against her skin. “Every time I looked at you, every time you walked away from me, I hadto chain myselfnot to touch you like this.”
Her grip on my shirt tightened, pulling me closer instead of away. “Please, d-don’t let me go.” Her voice cracked slightly as I felt her arching towards me.
That was it. The moment I broke.
I kissed her.
Not soft. Not careful. I kissed her as if the world were ending and she were the only thing keeping me upright. Like if I didn’t, I’d split open from the wanting.
My hand came up to her jaw without permission, thumb pressing in too hard, mouth crashing into hers like an apology I didn’t know how to say.
She froze for half a second.
And then—fuck—she kissed me back.
Not hesitant. Not unsure. Her lips moved with mine as if she’d been waiting, as if she’d already made the decision weeks ago and I was the one lagging behind.
Her fingers curled into my shirt, pulling me closer, and it felt like permission, even if I never asked for it.
God.
