The moonlight spilled across the room, painting shadows that danced across the walls. Seraphina's pulse throbbed in her ears, every nerve alive with anticipation. She had spent the day dodging glances and polite conversation, but Kael's presence lingered in her mind like a shadow she couldn't escape.
He appeared silently at the door, tall and commanding, eyes glittering with a hunger that made her stomach tighten. "You think you can sleep tonight?" he asked softly, his voice low and teasing.
Seraphina swallowed. "I… I don't know," she admitted. Her heart pounded, betraying the calm she tried to wear like armor.
Kael stepped inside, closing the distance until the warmth of his body brushed hers. Every move he made was deliberate, measured, and irresistible. One hand hovered near her waist, a subtle, teasing claim that made her shiver.
"You don't have to fight it," he murmured, his lips a whisper away from her ear. "Desire isn't weakness—it's truth."
Her breath hitched. She wanted to step back, but she couldn't. His presence was magnetic, dangerous, and thrilling all at once. Every glance, every touch, every small movement drew her closer into a storm she couldn't resist.
He leaned closer, his hand brushing against her cheek, tracing her jaw with a gentleness that contrasted his dangerous aura. "Say it," he whispered. "Admit it—what you feel."
Seraphina's knees trembled. "I… feel…" she began, her voice faltering, heat rising in a way she had never imagined.
"Say it," he pressed, lips barely grazing hers, teasing, igniting every nerve.
"I… desire you," she confessed, a whisper that carried both fear and longing.
Kael's smirk deepened, dark and predatory. "Good," he whispered. "Because I desire you… more than you can imagine."
The words were fire in her veins. His hands moved slowly, deliberately, tracing the lines of her body without crossing boundaries—yet every inch of skin brushed, every teasing touch, left her trembling.
He paused, watching her reactions, reading her every heartbeat. "Patience," he murmured, his voice low and velvety. "This is just the beginning. I will have you… but on my terms."
Seraphina's breath came in shallow gasps, her body caught in a delicious tension she could neither deny nor escape. Desire coiled between them like a living thing, both dangerous and irresistible.
He leaned in closer, lips brushing her temple, whispering, "Tonight, you will learn… desire is a power you cannot fight."
And as he stepped back just enough to leave her burning with anticipation, Seraphina realized something terrifying and exhilarating: in Kael's presence, restraint was impossible, and temptation was inevitable.