Magnus frowned, his hand catching the door before she could close it on him. He didn’t move back. Instead, he leaned in slightly.
“Wait.” His voice was low, almost coaxing. “We just spent the night together. You’re not even going to let me make you breakfast?”
Sophia flinched. Images from the night before flashed in her mind—his touch, his voice, the way he had completely broken down her walls like they were nothing.
Her stomach twisted.
She hadn’t planned any of it. Not the night. Not him.
But he had a way of breaking through her defenses, tearing them down piece by piece until she didn’t even realize when she stopped resisting… and started wanting.
“No,” she snapped, pushing him again, more desperate now. “Just—get out.”
She pushed him again, harder.
Magnus’s gaze dropped to her bare shoulder.
The shift in his expression was immediate—his eyes darkening, heat replacing irritation. His hand lifted almost instinctively, brushing against her exposed skin before sliding upward, fingers grazing her collarbone… her neckline.
His thumb moved softly, tracing her skin like he had all the time in the world.
Her body betrayed her instantly.
A shiver ran through her, her breath catching as heat curled low in her stomach.
Magnus stepped again—undoing all the distance she had just fought to create. His head dipped slightly, his voice lowering, rougher now, filled with something dangerous.
“Let me put you back to sleep first…” he murmured near her ear. “Then I’ll leave. I promise.”
Sophia’s heart slammed against her ribs.
The meaning behind his words, the way his hand still rested against her skin—it pulled at her, dragged her back toward that dangerous edge she had barely escaped.
For one second… she almost gave in.
Her fingers twitched.
Then she snapped out of it.
She grabbed his wrist and shoved it away from her like it burned.
“No need.” Her breath turned uneven, coming out heavier with each second. She forced herself to hold his gaze. “Just… leave.”
Something flickered across his face—displeasure… maybe even disappointment. His jaw tightened, lips pressing into a thin line.
Before he could say anything—before she could change her own mind—she stepped forward, pressing both hands against his chest and pushing him out the door.
“Go.”
The door slammed shut with a sharp bang.
Her back hit it instantly.
A shaky breath tore out of her as her chest rose and fell rapidly, her palms pressing flat against the wood behind her like it was the only thing holding her up. Her eyes squeezed shut, her brows pulling together as she tried to steady herself—tried to quiet the storm inside her.
But it didn’t stop.
The urge to open the door… to pull him back inside… was so strong it scared her.
