LILY POV
Damien's presence was overwhelming, his body so close I could feel the heat radiating off of him. His hands rested casually on my hips, but there was nothing casual about the way he studied me, his eyes tracing every inch of me like a predator savoring his prey.
"You're afraid, Lily," Damien's voice broke the silence, low and steady. "But it's not the kind of fear you think. You fear losing control. Losing yourself to me. But I can see it in you." He took a step forward, his face dangerously close to mine. "You're already lost."
I swallowed, trying to steady the hammering of my heart, but his words pierced through me, unraveling the carefully constructed walls I had built around myself. I hated that he could see right through me. I hated that he knew me better than anyone ever had.
"this...this is wrong," I whispered, but the words felt hollow even as they left my lips. I had never been more lost in my life than I was now, caught between a man I had once loved and a man who consumed me in a way I couldn't explain.
Damien's lips curved into a cruel smile, but his eyes remained serious, unwavering. "Then why are you still here? Why haven't you left?"
I opened my mouth to respond, but no words came out. The truth was, I didn't know why I stayed. I should've walked away a thousand times by now. But the truth was, Damien wasn't just a man. He was a demon, pulling me in with the power of his dark gaze, his touch, his obsession.
"You think I don't see it?" he continued, his voice dangerously soft, "You think I don't know what you're doing every time you pull away? Every time you try to hide from me?" His fingers grazed my cheek, the sensation sparking a trail of fire under my skin. "But you're not hiding, Lily. You're begging me to take you. You're begging me to make you mine."
I didn't say anything. I couldn't. My mind was spinning in circles, but I couldn't deny the truth of his words. Every time I tried to push him away, my body betrayed me. I wanted him. And that terrified me more than anything.
His gaze darkened, a shift in his demeanor so subtle that it took me a moment to catch it. The change was like a predator sensing vulnerability. His hands moved to the back of my neck, gripping me gently, forcing my head back to meet his gaze.
"You think you can walk away from this now after I've tasted you?" His voice was low, almost a growl now. "You're mine. whether you admit it or not. And I'm done waiting for you to figure it out."
Before I could react, Damien's lips crashed against mine in a kiss that was anything but gentle. His hands moved to my waist, pulling me flush against his chest, pressing me into the hard planes of his body. Every part of me screamed to fight, to resist, but I couldn't. The way he kissed me was intoxicating, the raw hunger in his touch sending shockwaves of heat straight to my core.
I had no control. Not anymore.
He pulled away just enough to speak, his breath hot against my lips. "I've been patient, Lily. But you're testing me. And I don't like being tested."
I tried to speak, to push him away, but he was already on me again, his lips trailing down my neck, leaving a path of fiery kisses that made my skin tremble. His hands were everywhere, gripping, pulling, forcing me to feel him, feel everything he was.
I gasped as his teeth grazed the sensitive skin at the base of my throat, his grip tightening as if he couldn't get close enough. Every time I thought I would lose myself, he pulled me back, demanding more, taking more, until there was nothing left of me but the desperate need to give in.
"You think Caleb cares for you like I do?" Damien's voice was sharp now, like a whip, as he pulled away just enough to look at me. "He doesn't. He never did. He's a boy playing with women while I'm the man who's been here. I'm the one who will break you and remake you, Lily. I'm the one who knows what you need."
My breath caught in my throat, and I tried to pull away, to escape the heat of his words, but he wouldn't let me. His fingers curled around my wrist, keeping me locked in place.
"Don't try to deny it," he murmured, his voice low and commanding. "You crave this. You crave me."
I was shaking, not from fear, but from the intensity of it all. The pull between us was undeniable, and no matter how much I wanted to resist, no matter how much I tried to fight it, I was already in too deep.
"Damien…" My voice was hoarse, broken. "What do you want from me?"
His lips twisted into a smile that was anything but comforting. "I want you to surrender, Lily.... completely."
Before I could respond, he leaned in again, his lips capturing mine in a searing kiss that left no room for argument, no room for hesitation. I was lost in him, in the taste of him, in the darkness that threatened to swallow me whole.
And this time, I didn't fight it.