I shoved at his chest, desperate to break the spell he cast over me. “Get off me,” I snapped.
He caught my wrist, holding it firm but not painfully. The amusement in his tone infuriated me. “That’s cute, princess. You think you can push me away?”
Glaring up at him, my heart thundered in defiance. “Let go,” I breathed, and the words came out sharper than I intended.
He released my wrist instantly, but there was a glint in his eyes that told me he enjoyed this dance we were doing—this tug-of-war between restraint and desire. The space between us pulsed with unspoken challenges and truths neither of us wanted to voice.
“Why do you care so much?” I challenged, crossing my arms as if that could shield me from whatever magnetic pull he exerted over me.
Nick stepped back slightly, folding his arms across his chest like he was weighing my words. “Because it’s amusing to watch you pretend you don’t want this.”
My stomach twisted at his observation. He had a point—I wanted something different from what I had known, but did that mean I wanted him? Or was it simply about wanting freedom?
“You think this is amusing?” My voice shook with frustration.
“Very,” he replied without hesitation, that smirk creeping back onto his face as if he reveled in my turmoil.
I barely registered the moment he closed the distance between us. One heartbeat, two, and then his mouth crashed onto mine. No hesitation. No warning.
The shock of it sent a gasp escaping my lips, and that was all Nick needed to deepen the kiss. He consumed me with a ferocity that left no room for doubt—this man didn’t kiss like someone testing the waters; he kissed like he already owned the damn ocean.
His teeth grazed my bottom lip, and I tasted the heat radiating from him. My body responded instinctively, a rush of fire pooling in my core as I fought against the urge to surrender completely. Pride clawed at me, screaming that I should push him away, remind him of our boundaries.
But Nick was relentless.
His hands gripped my waist, holding me firmly in place as if he meant to anchor me against the storm he unleashed with every sweep of his tongue. He didn’t allow any retreat; instead; he coaxed me into giving in, his kiss demanding and urgent.
I struggled at first, pressing back against him with whatever strength I could muster. But each movement only seemed to spur him on more fiercely. The world outside faded; there was nothing but the heat of our bodies colliding and the wild rhythm of our breaths intermingling.
Nick pulled me closer still, his fingers digging into my hips like a brand meant to mark me as his own. The thought sent shivers down my spine—not entirely unwelcome. My instincts warred within me; desire battled with reason as I found myself lost in this chaotic dance.
He tasted like danger—dark and intoxicating—and it wrapped around me like smoke, thickening in the air until I couldn’t breathe without wanting more. My heart raced as I lost track of where we were or what we had been talking about before this whirlwind of sensation took over.
But in that confusion, one thing was crystal clear: resisting felt futile when every part of me craved this reckless abandon he offered.
I melted into him, surrendering to the heat that radiated from his body. The world around us blurred into a haze, the chaos of the penthouse fading away as I let myself get lost in this moment. His lips moved against mine with an urgency that ignited something deep within me, something I had kept locked away for far too long.
As I finally gave in, I felt him tense beneath my fingertips, every muscle coiling like a spring. Winning this kiss had undone him. A thrill raced through me—this wasn’t just passion; it was possession. He backed me against the bar, the cool surface pressing against my back contrasting with the fire building between us.
One of his hands gripped the edge of the bar as if he needed it for support, his other hand cradled my face with a possessive intensity that sent shivers down my spine. I could feel the raw power radiating off him; this was no longer just a reckless moment—it felt like he claimed me as his own.
I pressed back into him, hungry for more, every instinct telling me to dive deeper into this reckless abandon. Nick deepened the kiss, his breath mingling with mine, and all I could think about was how good it felt to be wanted like this.
But beneath that desire lay a current of danger—his grip firm and demanding as if he were tethering me to him in a way that made it clear I wouldn’t walk away unscathed.
“Damn,” he murmured against my lips, breaking our kiss just enough to pull back and look at me, those dark eyes alight with something primal. “You really are wild under all that good-girl facade.”
The compliment sent heat flooding through my cheeks. “You don’t know anything about me,” I shot back, though my heart raced under his gaze.
“Maybe not yet.” His smirk returned, teasing but edged with sincerity. The promise lingered between us—a challenge neither of us could ignore.
With each second ticking by, it became clearer: there would be no turning back from this moment.
His hands skimmed down my back, fingers gliding over my skin with a teasing touch that made me arch into him instinctively. I shouldn’t be doing this. Shouldn’t let him pull me in deeper with each movement, but the way his lips moved against my throat ignited something inside me—a wild craving I couldn’t ignore.
I wanted this. The heat of his body against mine sent sparks racing through my veins, and when his fingers traced fire along my ribs, I could barely suppress a shiver. Each whispered word against my skin—raw and unfiltered—made me feel alive in a way I hadn’t experienced before.
But then his hands dipped lower, crossing a line I didn’t know I had drawn until that moment.
