The realization hit her like a wave crashing against the shore, powerful and inevitable. She didn’t want to run anymore. She didn’t want to keep fighting against something that seemed as much a part of her as her very breath. The thought terrified her, but it also made her heart beat faster in a way she couldn’t quite explain.
Damon’s eyes, molten and intense, were locked onto hers, as though he could see the inner turmoil playing out on her face. He didn’t say anything, didn’t press her for an answer. He simply stood there, close enough for her to feel his heat, for her to breathe in the scent of him, which now seemed to linger around her, like a tether she couldn’t escape.
“I won’t make you do anything you’re not ready for,” he said finally, his voice low and husky, but gentle. “I can
