Chapter 17: Bound by Fire
398 Words
The air in the room was thick—charged. A storm of heat and longing swirled between them, pulling them deeper into a place neither could escape from.
Ella’s breath came fast, her heart pounding as Liam hovered over her, his body a wall of heat pressing her into the plush mattress. His weight, his scent—everything about him consumed her.
Her fingers moved on their own, tracing the firm muscles beneath his shirt, feeling the raw power beneath his skin. He was solid, strong, dangerous. And yet, at that moment, she had never felt safer.
Liam caught her hand, bringing it to his lips, his kiss slow, deliberate. "You’re trembling," he murmured against her fingers, his voice rough, almost reverent.
"I—" She swallowed, her body betraying her. She wasn’t scared. She was just—overwhelmed.
Overwhelmed by him. By this.
His eyes darkened as he watched her, his thumb tracing slow circles against her palm. "Tell me what you’re thinking," he urged, his voice softer now, coaxing.
Ella’s lips parted, but the words tangled in her throat. How could she explain this ache, this undeniable pull toward him?
Instead, she reached for him, pulling him closer, letting her actions speak for her.
Liam inhaled sharply, his control snapping as he lowered himself over her, caging her in. His lips found hers again, but this time, the kiss was slower—deeper.
His fingers traced the curve of her waist, sliding beneath the fabric of her dress, his touch scorching. Ella gasped against his mouth, her body arching into him as his palm splayed against the bare skin of her thigh.
"Liam," she whispered, her voice breaking on his name.
He groaned, his lips trailing down the column of her throat, leaving a path of fire in their wake. "You don’t know what you do to me, Ella."
She did.
Because she felt it too.
The way her body burned for him. The way every inch of her skin craved his touch.
Liam's fingers skimmed higher, teasing, exploring, drawing soft gasps from her lips. He was taking his time, savoring every reaction, every breathy moan.
Ella clung to him, her mind spinning, her body completely at his mercy.
And when he finally lifted his head, his gaze locking onto hers with raw intensity, she knew—
There was no turning back.
Not now.
Not ever.
- Writer
