"You can't keep looking at me like that," Lyra whispered, her voice thick with tension.
Kael tilted his head, a half-smirk teasing his lips. "Like what?"
"Like you're about to ruin me."
"I am," he said simply.
Her breath caught.
The fire in his eyes didn't waver.
Lyra sat up slowly, the moonlight bathing her bare shoulders as she pulled the sheet to her chest, not out of modesty but because Kael was staring at her like he wanted to devour her all over again.
"Say it again," she said, watching him through the veil of her lashes.
Kael leaned in. His voice dropped.
"I'm going to ruin you."
A tremble passed through her. He meant it. Every word. And it wasn't just about lust.
He was already in her bloodstream—running through her, messing with her thoughts, her breath, and the way her heart beat too fast when he was near.
"You already have," she whispered.
Kael moved fast—faster than she expected. One arm braced beside her, the other tracing her jaw with the back of his knuckles.
"You like being ruined by me?"
"I like that it's you."
Their mouths were a breath apart. Every nerve in her body buzzed.
"I don't do soft," he murmured. "You know that, right?"
"Then be rough."
His restraint cracked.
Kael pulled her into his lap, her legs straddling him, the sheet slipping between them as heat sparked from skin to skin.
His hands gripped her waist. Tight.
"You drive me insane," he growled into her throat. "You taste like trouble."
Lyra's fingers tangled in his hair, tugging just hard enough to make him groan. "Then take the bite."
This time, she gave him the first kiss, claiming it was slow and bruised. Kael's hands slid down to the curve of her thighs, lifting her higher, grinding her against him until she gasped into his mouth.
They moved together like they already knew how. Like they were made for this.
No hesitations.
No apologies.
Just fire.
She arched against him, nails dragging down his back, pulling more out of him with every motion.
Kael bit down on her lower lip, not hard enough to break skin—but enough to make her moan.
"Say it again," she whispered, her voice wrecked with need.
He leaned closer, lips grazing her jaw.
"I'm going to ruin you."
She didn't flinch.
She didn't run.
With wild defiance, she looked him in the eyes and gave him a kiss as if she wanted one.
Like she craved it.
Like she was already his.
The rhythm between them grew faster, messier, and more desperate. They weren't careful this time.
It was raw.
Possessive.
And when she cried out his name, Kael buried his face in her neck, holding her like she was the last real thing in his life.
The air crackled with aftermath, thick with heat and something far more dangerous.
They didn't speak for a long time.
Until Kael finally lifted his head.
"You know this doesn't end here," he said.
Lyra looked at him, her lips swollen, her body trembling.
"I never wanted it to."
Kael dragged in a breath, then traced the inside of her wrist with his thumb. "You feel this?"
"The heartbeat?"
He nodded.
"That's mine now."
She didn't argue.
She didn't need to.
Because hers was already his too.