Lila
The sharp click of the door closing yanked me back to reality, grounding me in the unbearable truth: I was kissing the man I swore I hated. My palms pushed against his chest, creating the distance I so desperately needed. Elliot stepped back, his gaze hooded and predatory, while his tongue swept lazily across his bottom lip, a deliberate, taunting gesture.
I hated him. Hated the way my pulse quickened under his piercing stare, hated the heat pooling low in my belly, hated how his very presence made me feel like I was losing control. It was infuriating, this pull he had over me—an invisible chain I couldn’t seem to break.
Reaching for the flute of champagne on the table, I downed it in one breathless gulp, hoping the alcohol would grant me the courage to navigate the chaos brewing b
