Syx stood there shirtless, one arm braced against the doorframe as if he needed to hold himself up. His chest rose and fell with heavy breaths, his skin gleaming faintly in the hallway light and his eyes were dark and cold, filled with something Icouldn't name. Then I smelled myself on him. My sweet scent was still lingering on his breath, hands and skin.
My face burned hot with embarrassment and something else that made my thighs clench involuntarily.
"What's wrong?" My brows scrunched up in confusion at his slight urgency.
With a deep breath that filled and emptied his lungs, he deliberately avoided my gaze, as though my eyes possessed a hidden truth he was yearning to witness.
After a few long seconds he finally parted his mouth to speak.
"Don't fall for me, Nyne."
The words hit me like a slap.
I blinked trying to process what he'd just said. "What?"
"Don't fall for me," he repeated, his voice harder this time. "I ain't no good. I can't give you what you want. It ain't in me baby."
My chest tightened, anger flaring hot and fast. "Are you serious right now?"
"Dead serious." His eyes bored into mine. "I can feel it. I can feel you catching feelings, and you can't do that. You knew the rules when you came here."
"The rules?" I laughed, but it came out bitter and sharp. "You mean the fuckin' rules you keep breaking?"
"I ain't break shit," he spat.
"Bullshit!" My voice rose and I didn't care. "You standing here, smelling like my pussy and you're telling me not to catch feelings. Do you hear yourself?"
His jaw clenched. "This is professional, Nyne. I never meant for this to get this far baby."
"Professional," I stepped closer, my hands balling at my sides. "You look at me like I'm the only girl in the world. It's a fiery desire in your eyes that could light a candle if you looked at it. I know what I feel brewing between us. The only difference between me and you is that you're afraid to admit it becauseyou're too busy running from the truth." My voice cracked and I hated myself for it. "You look at me like I matter."
"You do matter," he said quietly.
"Then stop insulting my fucking intelligence!" I snapped. "Stop standing here acting like I'm imagining this. I can feel the shit happening between us, Syx. This push and pull thing we have going on has been driving me crazy."
"You're misreading shit."
"Am I?" I took another step forward, close enough that our bodies were almost touching. "Because it feels pretty damn clear to me. You want me. I want you. I ain't misreading that!"
His nostrils flared and for a moment, I thought he might grab me and kiss me, but instead, he took a step back, putting distance between us like it physically hurt him to do it.
"I ain't scared," he retorted, his voice low and dangerous. "I'm being realistic. You're here for two weeks, Nyne. Two fuckin' weeks! And then you go back to yo life, and I go back to mine. That's how this works."
"That's how it works for you," I shot back. "Only because you've convinced yourself you can't feel anything, but I see you, Syx. I know what I feel."
"You don't know what you're talkin' 'bout."
"Don't I?" My voice broke again, and this time I couldn't stop the tears that pricked at the corners of my eyes. "You're standing here telling me not to fall for you, but you're the one who made me feel like I could. And now you're telling me it was all just part of the job, as if I don't matter."
He didn't answer. He just stood there, his chest heaving, glaring at me.
Closing the space between us, I reached out to him and cupped his handsome face, smashing our foreheads together.
"Say something," I whispered, my voice trembling. "Tell me I'm wrong. Tell me I'm imagining it. Tell me you don't feel anything."
His eyes met mine and for a moment, I saw the armor crack. He was melting layers of vulnerability—shedding it. But then he looked away, his jaw tightening.
"I can't give you what you want Nyne," he said finally. His voice barely audible. "I've made you cum. I've taught you about your body, but this is where it ends, Nyne. This is all I got."
