Chapter 17: Torn Between Flames
401 Words
Chapter 17: Torn Between Flames
(Desire doesn’t ask permission)
It was past midnight when Aria heard the knock.
Soft. Measured. Dangerous.
Her heartbeat stuttered. Cade had gone home hours ago after checking on her twice, still tense but respectful of the space she demanded. And now—this.
She opened the door slowly, already knowing who it was.
Damon stood there, soaked from the storm outside. His hair was damp, his shirt clinging to every defined inch of him. Water dripped from the edge of his jaw as he looked at her like he’d been through hell just to reach her door.
“I shouldn’t be here,” he said.
She stared at him, bare feet on cold hardwood, robe tied loosely around her waist. Her voice barely came out.
“Then why are you?”
“Because I can’t stop,” he rasped. “Not thinking about you. Not wanting you. I’m losing my mind, Aria.”
She didn’t move. Neither did he. The distance between them was laced with electricity.
"You don’t get to do this," she whispered. "You broke me."
“And you’re the only thing that puts me back together.”
The words hit harder than they should have. She should’ve slammed the door. Should’ve walked away.
But instead—she opened it wider.
He stepped in without touching her. The door shut behind them, and the silence roared.
His fingers brushed her wrist. A test. She didn’t flinch.
Then he leaned in slowly, like he was giving her every chance to stop him.
She didn’t.
Their mouths met in silence. No rush. No fury. Just heat and longing soaked in regret. His lips tasted like rain and danger, like a past that still had claws in her.
He kissed her like she was something he’d never deserved. Like a man starving for a second chance and terrified he’d never get one.
When he pulled back, her breath was shallow.
“Don’t make me regret this,” she whispered.
“I already do,” he said. “But I still need more.”
His hands found her waist, her robe falling open just enough to make her remember every scar he’d left behind—and every high he’d taken her to.
And when they tumbled into the bedroom, wrapped in shadow and heat, Aria wasn’t sure if she was falling back in love…
…or falling into ruin.
- Writer
