Sienna's pulse quickened, the beat in her chest growing louder with each passing second. She stood frozen in the dimly lit hallway of Damian's penthouse, the elevator doors closing silently behind her. The sleek, modern decor that surrounded her seemed too cold, too impersonal. It was all a façade, a mask for the truth of what lay beneath it.
And what lay beneath was Damian himself—a force of nature.
Her gaze shifted to him. Standing just a few feet away, he exuded power, his broad shoulders casting a shadow that seemed to engulf the entire space. Every muscle in his body was taut, defined, as though carved by the gods themselves. His raven hair fell just above his intense eyes, eyes that bore into hers as if he could see every secret she'd ever kept, every flaw she'd tried to hide.
Sienna felt a sudden surge of heat rush to her face, a mix of shame and something much darker, much more dangerous. She didn't want to feel this way. She didn't want to feel pulled toward him, like a moth to the flame, but she couldn't stop it. There was something about him—something magnetic—that made her want to close the distance between them, to throw herself at his mercy.
But she didn't.
She couldn't.
"I didn't invite you here for small talk, Sienna," Damian said, his voice low, deep, and dangerously calm. He took a step forward, closing the gap between them in one smooth motion, his body a wall she couldn't escape.
Sienna swallowed, trying to steady her breath. The air around them felt heavy, as if the very walls were holding their collective breaths in anticipation. The words she wanted to say, the questions she had, seemed to dissolve the moment they made contact with his piercing gaze.
"Then why am I here?" she finally asked, her voice a little shakier than she had intended. She could hear her heartbeat in her ears, feel the tension in the room suffocating her. But still, she didn't move. Her body refused to back away, even though every rational part of her screamed for her to run.
Damian smiled, a slow, knowing smile that sent a shiver down her spine. "You're here because you can't stay away," he said softly. His voice was rich, like dark velvet, and it wrapped around her like a spell.
His words hung in the air, thick with meaning. Sienna tried to protest, but the words caught in her throat. She couldn't deny it. She was drawn to him. Something about the way he looked at her, the way he carried himself, made her feel things she didn't want to feel. Things she shouldn't feel.
The silence stretched between them, long and loaded, before Damian took another step closer. His hand reached out, and before she could stop him, his fingers grazed her arm, sending an electric shock through her entire body. Her skin tingled under his touch, and she clenched her fists at her sides, desperate to control the onslaught of emotions threatening to consume her.
"You want to run, don't you?" Damian whispered, his lips barely brushing her ear. She could feel the heat of his breath against her skin, sending a wave of desire through her that she couldn't ignore.
Sienna's knees threatened to buckle, and she fought to keep herself steady. She had never felt this vulnerable before, never felt so completely at the mercy of another person. But there was something about Damian that made her feel alive, made her feel like she was standing on the edge of something dangerous—and thrilling.
"I'm not afraid of you," Sienna whispered back, even though her voice shook. She wasn't sure if she was convincing him or herself, but it didn't matter. She needed to maintain some semblance of control.
Damian's hand slid up her arm, slowly, deliberately, until his fingers brushed the side of her neck. His touch was light, almost feather-like, but it sent a wave of heat coursing through her veins. "You're lying," he murmured, his voice a dark promise. "You're afraid, but you're also curious."
"I—" Sienna started, but the words faltered on her lips as his thumb traced circles on her skin. Her breath caught, and she could feel the pulse in her throat quicken. The fight in her was slipping away, thread by thread.
He tilted her chin up, forcing her to meet his eyes. His gaze was intense, consuming, and she felt herself drowning in it. "You're so beautiful when you're like this," Damian whispered. "When you don't know whether to fight or give in."
She opened her mouth to respond, but the words wouldn't come. She couldn't think. She couldn't breathe. All she could do was feel—his touch, his presence, the fire growing between them.
Suddenly, Damian leaned in, his lips hovering just inches from hers. The world around them seemed to disappear, leaving only the two of them in this charged, intimate space. She could feel his heat, smell the intoxicating scent of his cologne, and it was overwhelming. Every inch of her body screamed for him, screamed for the release that only he could give her.
But just as she thought he would kiss her, he pulled away, leaving her breathless and aching for more. He smirked, a wicked gleam in his eye. "You want me, don't you?" he asked, his voice a whisper of temptation.
Sienna couldn't deny it. She was burning, from the inside out. But she also knew that giving in to him, giving in to this desire, would mean losing herself. And she wasn't ready to do that—not yet.
"I don't want this," she whispered, even as every fiber of her being screamed for him to touch her again. "Not like this."
Damian's smirk deepened. "But you'll want me eventually," he said, his voice full of certainty. "And when you do, I'll be waiting."
The words hung in the air as he turned and walked away, leaving Sienna standing there, her heart racing, her body trembling with a need she didn't understand.