The Obsession That Comes From It
758 Words
His hand stayed on my knee.
Still.
Heavy enough to keep my pulse uneven.
The gates closed behind us slowly, metal sliding shut as the car rolled deeper into the estate grounds.
I stared at his hand instead of him.
That felt safer.
“You never answered me,” he said quietly.
My throat tightened. “Maybe I just don’t like the question.”
A low breath left him.
Not amusement.
Something darker.
“You should,” he said. “Questions like that usually matter before the mistake happens.”
Heat curled low in my stomach at the way he said mistake.
Like he already knew what mine would be.
The estate lights appeared ahead through the windshield, gold spilling across his face for a second before fading again.
I looked away too late.
He noticed.
Of course he noticed.
“You look at me like you’re thinking something dangerous.”
The words hit instantly.
I swallowed hard. “You think very highly of yourself.”
That finally pulled a small smile from him.
Brief.
Gone almost immediately.
“No,” he said calmly. “I think very highly of your lack of restraint.”
My chest tightened.
The car stopped in front of the house.
Neither of us moved right away.
Then his hand finally left my knee.
The absence of it felt immediate.
He got out first.
I followed him inside after he carried Isla upstairs, trying not to think about the sight of his hands on her legs, his shoulders beneath the black fabric of his shirt, the loosened collar at his throat.
Trying and failing.
The house was silent when he came back downstairs.
I should’ve gone to bed.
Instead, I waited near the staircase like an i***t.
His eyes found me immediately.
A pause.
Then—
“You never learn.”
My pulse jumped. “About what?”
“Limits.”
The word settled heavily between us.
He loosened the cuffs of his sleeves slowly as he walked closer, eyes never leaving mine.
One step.
Then another.
I should’ve moved.
I didn’t.
“You spent all night testing me,” he said quietly.
“I wasn’t testing you.”
“No?”
His gaze dropped briefly to my mouth before lifting again.
The air shifted.
Suddenly every breath felt too warm.
“You wore that dress.” Another step closer. “You touched me in that hallway.” His voice lowered slightly. “And then you looked at me like you wanted me to do something about it.”
My stomach turned hard enough to hurt.
Because he was right.
And he knew it.
I backed up without realizing until the edge of the staircase pressed lightly behind me.
Damon stopped directly in front of me.
Close enough that I could feel warmth coming off his body.
Close enough that one more inch would ruin everything.
“You remember what I said earlier?” he asked softly.
Punishment.
The word flashed through me instantly.
My silence answered for me.
His eyes darkened slightly.
“Good.”
My hand lifted before I could think better of it, fingers brushing lightly against the center of his chest.
Firm muscle beneath dark fabric.
His jaw tightened immediately.
But he didn’t stop me.
That was the problem.
The silence stretched.
My hand slid lower slowly, fingertips dragging down the front of his shirt toward his stomach.
His breathing changed.
Barely.
Enough.
A dangerous kind of confidence sparked low in my chest at finally affecting him back.
Then suddenly—
His hand caught my wrist.
Firm.
Not rough.
But enough to stop me completely.
My breath caught as he leaned down closer.
Too close now.
I could feel the warmth of his breath against my mouth.
“If I punish you,” he said quietly, “you’re not going to like how much you enjoy it.”
The words nearly destroyed what was left of my composure.
I looked at his mouth.
Big mistake.
Because his eyes followed the movement instantly.
For one terrifying second, I thought he was actually going to kiss me.
Instead, his thumb brushed once against the inside of my wrist before he released me.
Slowly.
Controlled again.
Like he was forcing himself back behind something sharp.
“Goodnight, Alina.”
I could barely breathe.
He stepped back once.
Just enough distance to make the loss of it ache immediately.
Then his eyes dropped briefly down my body one last time before returning to my face.
“Go to bed.”
And walked away.
- Writer
