thick with tension, as though the very walls could sense Ivy's curiosity about the key burning a hole in her pocket. She spent the day in a haze, her thoughts consumed by the locked doors and the secrets hidden within them. But it wasn't just the mysteries of the manor that lingered in her mind.
It was Gabriel.
Every word he spoke, every glance he cast in her direction felt like a touch. He was magnetic, an unrelenting force pulling her into his orbit. His presence was impossible to ignore—his commanding voice, his golden eyes that seemed to strip away her defenses, and the subtle intensity of his movements, as if he carried the weight of the world on his broad shoulders.
By the time night fell, Ivy was restless, pacing the confines of her room. She had no answers, only more questions. She needed air. The suffocating atmosphere of the manor was closing in, and if she didn't step outside, she thought she might scream.
Grabbing a shawl from the wardrobe, she made her way down the grand staircase and out the front door, the cool night air a welcome relief against her heated skin. The storm had left the grounds glistening under the light of the nearly full moon. Mist curled around the ancient hedges of the overgrown garden, creating an ethereal, dreamlike scene.
Ivy wandered along the stone path, her fingers brushing against the petals of rain-soaked roses that seemed to bloom defiantly in the chaos of the neglected garden. She felt a strange sense of peace here, as though the garden had been waiting for her.
"You shouldn't be out here alone."
Gabriel's voice startled her, low and smooth like velvet sliding over steel. Ivy turned to find him standing at the edge of the garden, his dark silhouette bathed in moonlight. He looked impossibly handsome, his hair tousled by the night breeze, his shirt open at the collar, revealing a hint of the strong chest beneath.
"I needed some air," Ivy said, trying to steady her voice.
He stepped closer, his movements slow and deliberate, like a predator approaching its prey. "Thornhaven is not a safe place after dark. There are things in these shadows that don't take kindly to intruders."
"Are you trying to scare me?" she asked, her tone defiant despite the flutter of nerves in her chest.
"Only if it keeps you safe," he replied, his eyes locking onto hers.
The intensity of his gaze rooted her to the spot. The air between them seemed to hum with unspoken words, a tension that neither of them could deny. Ivy felt as though he could see right through her, past every wall she'd ever built, straight to the vulnerable core she tried so hard to protect.
"What are you hiding, Gabriel?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
His jaw tightened, and for a moment, she thought he wouldn't answer. But then he sighed, stepping even closer until they were mere inches apart. She could feel the heat radiating from him, the sheer force of his presence overwhelming her senses.
"I've been hiding for a long time, Ivy," he said, his voice softer now, almost pained. "From the world. From myself. From the curse that binds me to this place."
His words sent a shiver down her spine, but it wasn't fear she felt. It was something deeper, something that felt like fate pulling her toward him.
"You don't have to hide from me," she said, her voice trembling with sincerity.
Gabriel's golden eyes darkened, the flicker of vulnerability in them replaced by something far more primal. He reached out, his fingers brushing against her cheek in a touch so gentle it made her breath catch.
"You don't know what you're saying," he murmured, his voice a low growl. "You don't know what I am."
"Then show me," Ivy said, her heart pounding in her chest. She didn't know where her courage came from, only that she couldn't let him pull away.
His hand slid to the back of her neck, his touch firm and possessive. "You don't understand the danger you're inviting, Ivy."
"Maybe I don't care," she whispered, her voice breaking with emotion.
The world seemed to fall away as Gabriel leaned closer, his breath warm against her skin. His lips hovered near hers, their proximity making her head spin. The scent of him—dark and woodsy, with a hint of something wild—filled her senses, leaving her dizzy with want.
"Ivy," he said, her name a warning on his lips.
But she didn't back down. Instead, she closed the distance between them, her lips brushing against his in a kiss that was both tentative and electric. Gabriel froze for a heartbeat, then groaned low in his throat, his control snapping.
His arms wrapped around her, pulling her flush against him as he deepened the kiss. It was searing, consuming, a release of all the tension that had been building between them since the moment they'd met. His hands roamed over her back, pressing her closer as if he couldn't get enough of her.
Ivy melted into him, her fingers tangling in his hair as she gave herself over to the moment. She didn't care about the shadows or the secrets lurking in Thornhaven Manor. All she cared about was Gabriel and the fire he ignited within her.
When they finally broke apart, both of them were breathing hard, their foreheads pressed together.
"This is dangerous," Gabriel said, his voice hoarse.
"So am I," Ivy replied, a hint of defiance in her smile.
For the first time, a faint smile tugged at his lips. "You're going to be the death of me."
But even as he said it, Ivy could see the hunger in his eyes, a hunger that mirrored her own. And in that moment, she knew there was no turning back. Whatever secrets Thornhaven held, whatever curse Gabriel carried, she was bound to him now.