365 Days of Him

out the noise of the storm and the chaos in her mind. She had been pacing, staring out at the stormy night, lost in thoughts of what Damien had sai

a spun around, her breath catching in her throat. Her heart skipped a beat as Damie

r waist and pulling her close. The force of his touch left no room f

words were cut off as he leaned in,

ent, she found herself frozen, caught in the intensity of his presence. The man had alway

ame. There was a moment-just a fleeting moment-where she didn't stop him. Her heart beat errati

reality

but resolute. "We shouldn't be doing th

ho are you to make the rules, Elara?" His voice was low, dangerously calm, but there was an unden

lt the weight of his control pressing against her, suffocating her. She wasn't

is iron grip. "Let me go," she demanded, her voice

olid and unforgiving. She struggled against him, her chest heaving with every

c set in. He wasn't letting her go. A

n her nightdress, a precaution she'd learned to take after the many times Damien had crossed lines. She pul

ile plea as her hand shook, the tip of th

nd stilled, no longer gripping her, though he didn't let go completely.

his promises. She wanted to be free, to hav

oarse. "You have to stop. This isn'

d his eyes-a flicker of surprise, maybe even fear. He looked at th

The only sound was the rain, po

s if the weight of the tension had broken him. He too

h, though his voice was strained. "You think I w

nife. Her grip was steady, her eyes unwavering as she

er voice cold and firm. "What matters is

efore he slowly backed away, his eyes never leaving hers. "You think

re he exited. Without turning around, he spoke softly, his voice su

ight, leaving Elara standing there, her body still

g, her mind in turmoil. The night had changed something between them. A