Frozen Desire

ection. She winced as the water soaked through her thin coat, making her shiver despite the warmth of the station. She stood near the curb, her eyes scanning the street

t great, s

ng up, walking would be miserable. As she stood there, trying to shield herself from the elements, she felt a strange sense of being watched.

blue eyes cold and calculating as ever. His car was sleek, black, and unden

voice smooth and calm despi

yet... here he was, once again, offering her something she didn't know if she should

ing, and there was no way she'd get a cab anytime soon. Still, the thoug

oice slightly defensive, trying to ignore the par

't quite reach his eyes. "I'm just being civil," he said, his voi

ntinue fighting the storm, but for some reason, she couldn't. Someth

ing in, "But I'm not going to

button, unlocking the door on the passenger side. She slipped inside q

he storm-soaked streets. She looked out the window, trying to ignore the tension in th

m. He was focused on the road, his expression unreadable, as i

ng the silence. The words came out before she could stop herself, an

ontemplating her question. Then, his

coolly, his voice betraying

She knew it was ridiculous, but she couldn't shake the feeling that there was somethin

me that night, she felt a strange sense of warmth, knowing that

her voice quiet but clear. Cassian glanced at her briefly, taking note of the way she see

f town, the streets becoming narrower and less crowded. "Then go straight

ost in thought. There was something about the way she described her place, the gentle pride in her voice, that intrigued him. It was

reaching for the door handle. "This is it," she said softly

expression unreadable, yet something inside him felt... unsettled. There was an unfami

ile, her eyes meeting his for a brief moment. Her t

ice low, though a hint of something softe

Cassian watched her go, his fingers gripping the steering wheel as he fought the impulse to stay seated. But as she reached th

that appeared to be closing for the night. He admired the quiet, the calm that radiated

en, their soft lights illuminating the path. It looked almost magical, like something out of a painti

aint smile tugged at the corners of her lips, and Cassian couldn't help but fee

d him it wasn't his business, that he should drive off and leave her be. But his gut told him otherwise, that

He moved toward the building, his eyes never leaving Sera as she unlocked the door and stepped in

re, as if she hadn't expected him to follow. He stopped a few paces away,

he wanted to say something-perhaps thank him again, or ask him

d calm. "I just wanted to make sure you were safe."

as warmer than any he had seen before. "Well, I appreciate it," she said, her voi

but couldn't resist one last glance over his shoulder. Sera was already inside, the door closing gentl

as if time itself had momentarily frozen. He hadn't expected that. Not from her, not after eve

glow of the apartment, a gentle invitation hanging in the air. The vulnerability in her voice wasn't lost on him, nor was the quiet

beneath it, a trace of hesitation he rarely allowed himself to show. His gaze he

She stepped back into the warmth of the apartment, then called out over her shoulder with a light, teasin

t was fleeting. Something in her voice, the way she offered such simple

efuse her, not this time. The truth was, he wanted to see this side of her more-to know the woma

ter now, more genuine than before. The words surprised hi

a sanctuary-nothing like the cold, sterile walls of his penthouse or the impersonal, high-rise offices. This was something else entirely. And as they made their way towar

. The string lights twinkling through the vines created a soft, golden glow, and the city skyline stretched out beyond them

e turned to Sera. She had already moved toward the little kitchenette, her back to him as she prepared som

light, though there was something more hidden beneath it. "I've always loved the idea of creating somethin

r between them. There was a rawness to her, a kind of depth that went beyond appearances. It was a stark

ef moment, an electric pulse ran through him. He met her eyes, and sh

walls he had built around himself starting to crack, and though he tried to s

r eyes holding his for a m

g about the simplicity of it, the way the evening felt unhurried and undemanding. He watched Sera move around the small kitchen, the soft

es outside, the slightly off-center artwork on the walls, the way she had arranged everything so carefully but with a sens

ke he was waiting for her to say something. It was a strange sensation, and not one he was

e light but with a hint of amusement, breaking his reverie.

his throat, adjusting himself in his seat. "I wasn't staring," he said,

it across from him. "Sure, sure," she teased, h

nature, her vulnerability, the way she didn't shy away from offering him the simplest of comforts when she could have easily ignored him. In his

er now, trying to cut through the pull of th

sn't the kind of thing people asked casually, and for a moment, she didn't know how to respon

of beauty, even if they're small. I like finding meaning in the simple things-the way the light hits the leaves o

hat moment how much he had become numb to the world around him-how much he had let his father's expectations, his responsibilities

pay attention," he murmured

cted. "It's easy to lose sight of things when you're always running

een them, a moment of unders

e casting long shadows across the walls. The world outside felt so far removed from the life he had been living,

s curling into a small, genuine smile. "You mak

ifferent from the usual fire she carried. "It can be," she said

he occasional sound of the rain tapping against the windows. Cassian felt like he w

company, the responsibility, or his father.

inch of him wanted to close the distance between them, to feel the warmth of her skin, the soft curve of her lips. He had been fighting this pull since their first meeting, but now, in the quiet of h

rom the start too, but she hadn't expected it to feel like this-like every nerve in her body was waking up, craving the heat of h

pulling her closer, pressing her against him, as if he couldn't get close enough. She responded immediately, her hands coming up to grip his shoulders, her body instincti

the fire that ignited between them. Sera's breath caught as he deepened the kiss, his tongue brushing against h

screamed at her to stop, to pull away before things went too far. But she

ther. His body was already reacting to her, every inch of him aching for more. He had never allowed himself to get this los

rs, his breath coming in quick, uneven bursts. "Sera," he whispered, his voice hoarse. His hand cupped her cheek, hi

feeling the rapid beat of his heart beneath her fingers. "Don't,

as as if the storm outside had mirrored the storm inside them both. There were no words needed. Only the urgency o

n, this time gentler, slower,

could feel the warmth of her body against his, the pulse of her heartbeat matching his own. The world outside seemed so far away, so irreleva

imprint him onto her skin. She didn't know what this was, what was happening between them, but in that instant, it didn't matt

s she tried to steady herself, her pulse still racing from the closeness of him. She looked up into his eyes, and for the first time, she saw somet

ps, fingers lightly tracing the curve of her waist. "I should go," he murmured, th

been so close to anyone like this, never felt so seen, so understood. But even in the depth of the kiss, the heat of the moment, she knew t

Cassian's thumb gently brushed across her cheek, the gesture almost tender, and for a moment, they both see

uld go," she said again, this time with more certa

l go," he said, his voice thick with something she couldn't quite read. He took a step

stretching between them. He was leaving, but she couldn't shake the fe

, his voice softer than it had bee

asn't sure when-or if-she would se

f his presence more deeply than she'd expected, t