[Hazel]
Elijah lifted a hand to his face and slowly slid off his glasses, the cool metal frame catching the light as he carefully lowered them. His eyes—bare, intense, and unguarded—locked onto mine with a sharpness that sent a jolt through me. Without a word, he let the glasses slip from his fingers, the soft clink as they hit the table beside us echoing in the charged silence.
And then there was an undertow. No warning. No hesitation.
One moment I was standing there, mouth half open in mid-complaint, and the next—he kissed me.
No—crushed his mouth to mine.
The impact stole the very air from my lungs. My thoughts collapsed in a heap behind my eyes. Logic, pride, common sense—none of them stood a chance. His arms were the only reason I didn’t liquefy right there and pool at his feet.
