The heat rising between me and Torrance makes everything feel electric. The soft glow from the dimmed overhead lights creates shadows that dance across his angular features, deepening the intrigue that surrounds him like a cloak. I steal a glance at him, my breath hitching in my throat as his dark eyes pierce through me, assessing my every thought.
"Tell me, Isabella," he begins, his voice low and gravelly, sending shivers of anticipation coursing through me. "Are your dreams pure? Or perhaps... exotic? " he ask his question again, for a more direct answer.
His question messes with my head more than I want to admit. How could he know? How could he possibly know about the dreams that swirl in the depths of my subconscious—dreams where he's not just my protector but also my desire, where the boundaries of my royal life blur into something far more intoxicating?
I look away, suddenly flustered. My cheeks flush a deep crimson as I replay the vivid images from my dreams—the warmth of his body against mine, the way his touch ignites something deep within me. I want to confess, to share this part of myself, but the words stick to my throat like ash, tangled in the fear of my own vulnerability.
Torrance's lips curve upward into a smirk, as if he can sense my internal struggle. His hand slides lightly onto my thigh, just barely brushing the hem of my dress. The contact sends a jolt of heat rippling through me, and I grip the armrest of the seat as sensations I've never known begin to pool low in my belly.
"Isabella?" His voice is deeper now, rougher, almost teasing. "If you only knew how many fantasies I could awaken in you."
My heart races as he pushes his hand higher, rubbing in slow, deliberate circles. I let out a soft moan, the sound surprising even myself, as the tension in the car thickens like the air before a storm. Desire swirls around us as my thoughts tangle—part of me is terrified by the rawness of it, the unknown pleasures that beckon me, while another part of me craves this moment to stretch into eternity.
His lips trail toward my neck, brushing softly against my skin before biting down ever so slightly, leaving behind marks that remind me of his presence. I'm breathless, caught between shame and exhilaration, as I surrender to the thrill of less-than-pure dreams woven into reality.
"Would you like your darkest and most exotic fantasies to come true?" he whispers, his breath hot against my ear, sending a rush of goosebumps skittering down my spine.
My emotions clash violently within me—fear, arousal, confusion—but as I feel his warmth linger on my skin, and his possessive gaze locks onto mine, I realize that I want this. I want him.
"Yes," I breathe out, the word barely escaping my lips, layered with uncertainty and longing. I can't believe I'm saying it aloud, but the craving for something deeper, wilder, calls to me with an intensity that feels like a siren's song.
Torrance's smirk widens, satisfaction radiating off him as he inches closer, our breaths mingling in the confined space of the car, the world outside a distant echo of normalcy. In this moment, there's no kingdom, no responsibilities. Just the two of us, tangled in shadow and light, a queen and her tantalizing shadow, on the brink of unleashing a tempest of desires that may change us both forever.
Maybe this time, I will dare to let my fantasies take flight. Maybe this time, I will discover just how exotic and wild my heart can truly be.