Chapter 13: A Dangerous Invitation
439 Words
Ella’s breath faltered, but she didn’t step back.
Liam was too close—dangerously close. His touch was barely there, yet it ignited something deep inside her, something she had no business feeling.
She should walk away.
She should push him back.
She should say something sharp, something final.
But she didn’t.
Instead, she whispered, “You don’t know what you’re asking for, Liam.”
His smirk deepened, but there was something darker in his gaze now.
“Then tell me.” His fingers traced down her jaw, featherlight. “What is it that makes you so afraid?”
Her heart pounded against her ribs.
He saw it. He felt it.
The way her body responded to him, despite the walls she had carefully built.
Ella swallowed hard. “This isn’t a game.”
Liam leaned in, his breath warm against her ear. “Who said I was playing?”
A shudder ran through her, betrayal coursing through her veins—not because of him, but because of herself.
Because she wanted this.
Because she wanted him.
His lips barely grazed the curve of her jaw, and she bit back a gasp.
“Tell me to stop,” he murmured.
Ella clenched her fists. Her pulse roared in her ears.
She should say it.
But the words wouldn’t come.
Instead, she turned her face—just enough.
Their lips were a breath apart, the tension thick, electric.
Liam’s eyes darkened.
Then—his phone buzzed.
The sound cut through the moment like a blade.
Ella blinked, inhaling sharply as reality snapped back into place.
Liam didn’t move at first. His eyes held hers, searching, questioning.
Then, with a slow exhale, he pulled away, reaching into his pocket.
Ella stepped back, her legs unsteady, the cold air rushing between them like a cruel reminder.
Liam checked the screen. His jaw tightened.
“Business?” she asked, her voice quieter than she intended.
He didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he slid the phone back into his pocket, his expression unreadable.
Then, just when she thought he’d let her go—
Liam reached out, grabbing her wrist firmly.
“Come with me.”
Ella’s pulse jumped. “What?”
His grip was gentle, but his voice was anything but. “You’re not walking away from this.”
Her breath caught. “From what?”
His smirk was slow, deliberate.
“From whatever the hell this is between us.”
Her stomach flipped.
Everything in her screamed to resist. To keep her distance.
But her body?
Her body had already decided.
And when Liam tugged her forward, she didn’t fight it.
Not this time.
- Writer
