Lyra's POV
The house felt too quiet. It was suffocating, like the walls were closing in on me. My pulse was still racing from the kitchen encounter with Leo the night before. Every time I closed my eyes, I felt his hands on me, his lips against mine, that possessive heat that had seared into me like a brand.
I paused at the end of the hallway, staring at the closed door to his office. I should turn around. I should leave. But instead, my feet moved toward the door on their own. My hand was on the doorknob before I realized what I was doing.
The door creaked open, revealing Leo standing by the window, staring out at the darkening sky. He turned when he heard me enter, his eyes locking onto mine with that same intensity I was beginning to hate. The air between us was thick, charged with something I couldn't name but knew was dangerous.
"I wasn't expecting you," Leo said, his voice low, smooth. His eyes roamed over me, taking in every detail of my appearance like I was something to be studied, to be consumed.
"I—" I stopped, my breath catching in my throat. What was I doing here? I had no excuse, no reason to come looking for him. But I couldn't stop myself. The pull between us was magnetic, undeniable.
"You couldn't stay away, could you?" he murmured, taking a step toward me. The way he moved, slow and deliberate, made my pulse spike. He was always in control, always one step ahead, and it terrified me how easily he could make me fall into line.
"I need answers," I managed to say, though my voice trembled with the effort. "About what this is... about where this is going."
He stopped just inches in front of me, towering over me, his eyes dark with that same possessiveness that had ignited something deep inside me the night before. His hand came up to brush a strand of hair from my face, his fingers grazing my skin in a way that sent a shockwave of heat through me.
"You already know where this is going, Lyra," he whispered, his voice a low rumble that sent shivers down my spine. "You feel it, don't you?"
I tried to speak, to tell him he was wrong, that I wasn't his to claim. But when his hand slid down to my waist, pulling me flush against his body, the words died in my throat. My body betrayed me, melting into him even as my mind screamed at me to pull away.
"Leo, this... this isn't—"
"This is exactly what it is," he cut me off, his lips brushing against my ear, his breath hot against my skin. "You're mine, Lyra. You've always been mine. You can fight it, you can push back, but you and I both know you can't escape it."
I swallowed hard, my body trembling as his hand slid lower, gripping my hip with a possessive firmness that made my pulse quicken. My hands pressed against his chest, but it wasn't to push him away. No, I was pulling him closer, my fingers curling into the fabric of his shirt as the tension between us reached a fever pitch.
"You don't own me," I whispered, though even I didn't believe the words.
His lips curved into a dark smile, one that sent a thrill of fear and excitement coursing through me. "Don't I?"
Before I could respond, his mouth was on mine again, hard and unrelenting. The kiss was different this time. deeper, more intense, as if he was staking his claim, branding me with his touch. My hands slid up to his shoulders, clutching at him as if he was the only thing keeping me grounded in the whirlwind of emotions swirling inside me.
He pushed me back against the wall, his body pressing into mine, and I felt a gasp escape my lips as his hands roamed lower, gripping me in a way that made it clear he wasn't asking for permission—he was taking what he wanted. And the worst part?
I wanted it too.
His lips moved to my neck, trailing hot, open-mouthed kisses down the curve of my throat, each one sending shockwaves through my body. My heart was racing, my skin burning under his touch. I was losing myself in him, in the darkness he carried with him, and I couldn't stop it.
"You don't get to walk away from this," he growled against my skin, his teeth grazing my collarbone in a way that made me shiver. "You're not leaving, Lyra. Not until I'm done with you."
The words sent a spike of fear through me, but they also ignited something else—something primal, something that made my body respond to him even more.
We were fire and gasoline, and there was no stopping the explosion.
His hands moved to the edge of my shirt, and I gasped as he pulled it over my head, leaving me bare to his touch. His fingers trailed down my spine, sending electric shocks through me as his mouth found mine again, devouring me with a hunger that matched my own.
I was lost. Completely and utterly lost.
But just as the heat between us reached its breaking point, there was a loud knock at the door.
We both froze, our breaths coming in ragged gasps as the spell between us shattered. My heart raced in my chest as I pushed him away, scrambling to grab my shirt, my mind spinning.
Leo's expression darkened, his eyes flashing with a mix of anger and frustration as he glanced toward the door.
"Not now," he growled under his breath, turning back to me. "This isn't over, Lyra."
But I could feel it. it was over. At least for tonight.