The moment her lips were claimed again, Lora Hale felt something inside her break loose.
It was not just desire—it was a long-suppressed emotion, a warmth that surged upward from deep within her chest, spreading fast and uncontrollable. Her thoughts blurred, her breathing grew uneven, and the world seemed to narrow until there was only him, only the heat between them.
Yet it was the firm strength of his hand that made her realize something even more frightening.
Her body reacted before her mind could catch up.
It was an instinct she had never experienced before—sudden, overwhelming, stripping her of strength in an instant. Her legs felt weak, her fingertips trembled, and an unfamiliar fire spread through her veins, as if something dormant had finally been awakened.
A restless heat gat
