BOUND BY DESIRE

Chapter 23 – Possession and Consequences

Elena barely had time to react before Damon’s hand was on her lower back, guiding her away from Nathan with quiet force. His grip wasn’t painful, but it was firm—possessive. She knew better than to fight him here, not in front of all these people, but she could feel the tension radiating from him like a storm about to break.

They moved through the grand hall, past the glittering chandeliers and murmuring guests, until they reached a quieter hallway. Damon didn’t stop until they were completely alone, the noise of the event fading behind them.

Then he turned to face her.

“What the hell was that?” His voice was low, dangerously controlled, but she could hear the sharp edge beneath it.

Elena crossed her arms, trying to ignore the way her pulse spiked. “Nathan was just worried about me. He—”

“I don’t give a damn what he was,” Damon cut her off, stepping closer. “What I care about is why you thought it was a good idea to have a secret conversation with your ex-boyfriend.”

She frowned. “I didn’t exactly plan for him to be here.”

Damon’s jaw ticked, his dark eyes burning into hers. “Did you tell him about our arrangement?”

“No,” she said immediately, and that seemed to ease a fraction of his tension.

But not enough.

His fingers brushed along her jaw, his touch deceptively gentle. “Then tell me, princess,” he murmured, his voice like silk laced with steel, “why did he look at you like you needed saving?”

Elena swallowed hard. “Because he doesn’t understand.”

Damon’s lips curved slightly, but there was no humor in it. “Doesn’t he?”

A chill ran through her. There was something dangerous in his gaze, something unreadable. She knew he didn’t take well to being challenged—especially in public.

“Are you jealous?” she asked before she could stop herself.

A flicker of something dark passed over his features. Amusement? Annoyance? Something else entirely?

“I don’t get jealous,” Damon said smoothly. Then his fingers tightened slightly on her chin, tilting her head up. “I get what’s mine.”

The words sent a shiver down her spine.

She should have pulled away. Should have pushed back.

Instead, she whispered, “I’m not yours.”

Damon’s expression didn’t change, but something in his eyes darkened. “You’re mine for the next two and a half years, Elena. And I don’t share.”

Before she could respond, he closed the distance between them, his lips brushing against hers in a ghost of a kiss—light, teasing, but full of unspoken possession.

Then he pulled back, his gaze still locked on her. “Stay away from him.”

It wasn’t a request.

Elena stared at him, her breath coming unevenly. She wanted to argue, wanted to tell him that he didn’t control who she spoke to. But deep down, she knew that defying Damon Blackwell came with consequences.

And she wasn’t sure she was ready to face them yet.

---