Elena’s heart hammered against her ribs as she stood in the dim glow of Damian’s bedroom, the door clicking shut behind them with a finality that echoed through the hushed air. His eyes, those piercing green orbs that always seemed to strip away her defenses, locked onto hers, and in that charged silence, the weight of their unspoken desires crashed over her like a wave. She could feel the heat radiating from his body, just inches away, the faint scent of his cologne—cedar and something wilder, more primal—mingling with the cool night breeze filtering through the cracked window. Her breath came in shallow gasps, her mind racing with the forbidden thrill of being alone with him, her stepbrother, in this sanctuary that felt both dangerous and intoxicating.
Damian stepped closer, his presenc
