The knock came again, soft, hesitant, but enough to jolt me fully awake. My heart was already racing, memories of that nearly-kiss earlier in the day making my pulse thrum against my ribs. 2 AM. Who could…?
"Mara?" I whispered, my voice trembling more than I expected. A pause, then: "It's me. I… I couldn't sleep. Are you awake?"
Something inside me snapped. I swung the door open. She was there, in the dim light, the sheer dress clinging to every curve, daring and fragile all at once. My chest tightened. My hands itched to touch her, to pull her close, but my brain shouted warnings I ignored.
"Come in," I breathed. The click of the lock felt like a vow, dangerous and thrilling. Once the door was shut, the outside world ceased to exist.
We didn't speak at first. She perched on the edge of the bed, a heartbeat away, and I stretched out, hands behind my head, pretending calm, feeling my own heartbeat roar. The music hummed softly, but every inch of air between us was electric. Her gaze lingered on me, and I felt it—not just attraction, but a pull older than this life, deeper than logic.
Then she leaned in. Just a whisper of lips against mine, exploratory, teasing, and my body betrayed me, shivering. My hands moved almost on their own, flipping her gently onto the bed. Her hair fanned across the sheets, and I hovered over her, heart hammering, pulse racing. I traced my lips along her jaw, teasing her neck, savoring every shiver and gasp she offered.
Her hands tangled in my hair, pulling me closer, and I let my fingers roam over her shoulders, over her waist, brushing along the curves that had haunted my thoughts all day. She shivered again, whispering my name softly, and the sound alone sent a jolt through me. I kissed her deeper, slower, lingering on her lips, tasting her desire, pressing her closer, and felt her response press back into me, desperate, tremulous.
Every inch of our bodies spoke a language forbidden, unspoken, impossible to resist. My hands moved along her sides, along the curve of her back, teasing and lingering, mapping every inch, memorizing her. She pressed into me, soft gasps breaking from her lips, tiny shivers running across her skin like wildfire.
We stayed like that for long, stolen moments, tracing and teasing, exploring and pressing, whispering each other's names like confessions. Every brush of lips, every tremble, every shiver sent waves of fire through me. The heat between us was raw, forbidden, and all-consuming.
I hovered over her, eyes dark, lips tracing her jaw again, inhaling her warmth, feeling her pulse against my fingertips. She tangled her hands in my hair, tugging gently, pulling me down, and I pressed closer, teasing her, lingering over every response. Every gasp, every whimper, every soft moan she offered was addictive, intoxicating. I could feel her desire, almost visible in the way she trembled, the way she arched into me.
The night was ours. No rules, no past lives, no new lives—just Mara, just me, the heat between us, the forbidden connection that refused to let go. Every touch, every kiss, every shiver, every whispered name burned itself into memory. I didn't want it to end. We didn't want it to end.