Aurora POV
The villa was wrapped in golden light, the kind that made everything look like a dream. The sea breeze drifted through the open balcony doors, stirring the curtains and brushing warm air over my bare legs.
I was standing by the bed, lost in thought, wearing nothing but one of Ace Wolfe's shirts. It was oversized, crisp, smelling faintly of him. Too intimate for something borrowed. Too dangerous for comfort.
The silence wasn't empty. It beat like a second pulse in the room.
And then I felt him-before I saw him. My back straightened, breath catching as if my body knew he was there.
"Turn around," he said.
That voice-low, quiet, but impossible to ignore.
I did.
He was in the doorway, black shirt unbuttoned, sleeves rolled up, chest broad and tan beneath the dim light. His eyes moved over me slowly, lingering, hungry.
"Christ," he muttered under his breath. "You don't even know what you do to me."
My lips parted. "Then tell me."
He crossed the room, each step deliberate, until his hands framed my face. Not rough, not gentle-just steady. His thumb brushed my cheek, and it felt like fire under my skin.
"You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen," he said, his voice low, almost angry at the truth of it. "Not just now. Every time I look at you."
His forehead dipped closer, his nose brushing mine.
"I want you," he whispered. "Not later. Now."
My pulse thudded in my ears. His lips grazed the line of my jaw, teasing, sparking shivers down my spine. One hand pulled me tight against him, the other gripping the back of the shirt I wore like he couldn't stand the space between us.
"I think about it too much," he admitted against my skin. "Laying you down. Making you mine."
My knees went weak. He held me upright effortlessly.
"Say something," he demanded, his voice rougher now.
My fingers slid into his hair, tugging just enough to hear him groan. "I don't know what to say ."
"Then allow me to do what I want ."
It came out fast, certain, too raw to be rehearsed.
Then his mouth was on mine. A kiss that wasn't careful or polite-it was claiming, consuming. My body melted into him, my arms locking around his neck. He lifted me like I weighed nothing, my legs wrapping around him as if it was instinct.
His lips traced down my throat, his teeth grazing skin that made me gasp.
"Aurora," he breathed, broken and rough. "You drive me f-"
Knock. Knock.
We froze.
Ace pressed his forehead to mine and exhaled a growl, his chest rising hard against me.
"Sir," came a muffled voice from outside. "Your yacht is ready."
Another knock.
Ace sighed sharply, eyes still locked on mine, heavy with everything we hadn't finished. "Bad timing is apparently my new curse."
I swallowed, trying to catch my breath. "Do I have time to change?"
His mouth curved, a slow, dangerous smile. "You'll need it."
Fifteen Minutes Later
I barely recognized myself. The bikini Ace had chosen was black, cut low, sparkling with tiny crystals, with a sheer golden wrap tied loose around my hips. I slid on gold sandals, hair twisted up, and when I stepped out, the way his eyes traveled over me said enough.
He didn't smile. He didn't need to.
We walked to the dock as the sun dropped toward the horizon, painting the sky in shades of fire. The yacht waiting for us looked more like a floating palace than a boat, sleek and gleaming under twilight.
But my attention snapped when I saw them.
Clarke was on the dock, arms crossed, irritation written all over her face. Beside her, Matt gestured wildly, his voice raised.
"I'm not apologizing again, Clarke!" Matt barked. "You knew what you were doing."
"And you knew I wasn't joking," Clarke shot back, her tone sharp. "Next time, keep your mouth shut."
They hadn't noticed us yet.
Until Ace cleared his throat.
Clarke spun around. Her face lit up instantly when she saw me, her scowl disappearing like it had never existed.