~~~Declan~~~
“I’m a virgin.”
The words hung in the air between us, soft and trembling, like a confession she’d been carrying for years. I froze above her, every muscle in my body going still. My heart slammed against my ribs so hard I was sure she could feel it. Soraya’s eyes were squeezed shut, her cheeks flushed deep red, her fingers digging into my shoulders like she was bracing for rejection.
A virgin.
This fiery, stubborn, unbelievably strong woman who had fought me at every turn, who had slapped me in the hallway, who had matched me kiss for kiss in the heat of our anger she had never done this before. Something shifted deep in my chest. The raw hunger that had been driving me moments ago softened into something gentler. More protective.
The realization hit me like a body chec
