Chapter 36 – Cracks in the Armor
429 Words
The air between them was charged, thick with something neither of them dared to name.
Elena knew she should step away. That’s what Damon wanted.
But she couldn’t.
Not when she had seen behind the mask. Not when she had glimpsed the man beneath the ruthless exterior.
“Why do you keep pushing me away?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Damon’s jaw tightened. “Because I have to.”
“Why?”
His gaze locked onto hers, dark and unreadable. “Because you don’t belong in my world, Elena.”
A bitter smile tugged at her lips. “Funny. You didn’t seem to care about that when you made me sign that contract.”
His hands clenched into fists at his sides. “That was different.”
“How?”
He didn’t answer.
Instead, he exhaled sharply and turned his back to her, gripping the balcony railing. The muscles in his shoulders were rigid, like he was barely holding himself together.
Elena took a cautious step closer.
“You say I don’t belong in your world,” she murmured, “but you’re the one who brought me into it.”
Damon remained silent.
She reached out, her fingers lightly grazing his arm. The contact was brief, but he stiffened under her touch.
“Elena,” he warned, his voice dangerously low.
But she didn’t back away.
“What are you so afraid of?” she asked softly.
Damon finally turned to face her, and for the first time, the cracks in his armor were visible. His eyes burned with something raw, something almost desperate.
“I don’t do love,” he said, each word heavy. “I don’t have feelings. They make you weak.”
She swallowed hard. “And yet, here we are.”
His gaze flickered—like he was waging a war within himself.
Then, in a flash, he closed the distance between them.
Elena barely had time to react before he cupped her face, his grip firm but not forceful. His breath was warm against her lips, his scent intoxicating.
“I’m not a good man,” he murmured, his voice rough. “I’ll ruin you, Elena.”
Her heart pounded.
He was giving her an out. A chance to walk away.
But instead of pulling away, she whispered, “Then ruin me.”
Something in Damon snapped.
His lips crashed against hers, claiming her in a way that left no room for doubt. This wasn’t gentle. It wasn’t sweet.
It was desperate.
Possessive.
And Elena surrendered to it completely.
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- Writer
