Page 16 of Ardent Desires

“You forgot this,” he says, walking toward me with long strides, his blue eyes looking icy against the backdrop of the storm.

“Oh,” I whisper, finally getting the gate open. I can’t seem to tear my eyes away from him as he closes the distance between us. The way the rain glistens on his skin, the way his eyes darken as he reaches me, it all makes something stir deep inside me.What is this?

When he hands me the phone, our fingers brush. It’s the smallest touch, but it sends a jolt through me, blooming something warm and dangerous in my center.

His hand moves again, this time slower, more deliberate, and before I can even process it, he’s tucking a wet strand of hair behind my ear. His fingers linger, grazing my skin, and I shiver—though it has nothing to do with the rain.

“Ellie,” he growls, his voice low and rough, like he’s fighting something inside himself.

And then his lips are on mine.

I don’t have time to think, to process, because the moment his mouth touches mine, everything else disappears. He tastes like hot chocolate, rain, and something that’s entirelyhim. His lips are firm, demanding, and the heat that’s been simmering between us for days suddenly explodes.

His hand moves to the back of my neck, pulling me closer as his body presses into mine, pinning me gently against the adjacent wall. My fingers clutch his soaked jacket, and my breathing speeds up as his tongue slips into my mouth. Isuck, tasting him, and he groans, his hands tightening around me.

God, he tastes good. Devastatingly good.

His other hand slides down to my waist, pulling me against him like he can’t get close enough, and I can feel every inch of him, the hardness of his body, the heat radiating off him. We’re both soaked, but it doesn’t matter. Nothing matters right now except this kiss, this moment, thisinsanechemistry that’s been building between us.

He pushes me harder against the wall, and I kiss him back with everything I have, my fingers tangling in his hair, pulling him closer, deeper. I can’t breathe, but I don’t care. I don’t need air; I just needhim.

And then, a car rushes by, splashing water everywhere, and reality hits me like a bucket of ice-cold water.

What am I doing?

I pull back, panting, my lips still tingling from the kiss. “I’m—I’m sorry,” I stammer, my heart racing. “I can’t... we can’t...”

Alexander’s eyes are dark, filled with something raw, something I’ve never seen before. He takes a step back, his chest heaving like he’s just run a marathon.

“Ellie,” he starts, but I shake my head, taking another step away from him, my back pressed against the cold, wet wall.

“I need to keep things professional,” I manage to say, my voice shaky. “This can’t happen. Not like this.”

He’s quiet for a moment, his eyes searching mine, and then he nods, his jaw tight. “Goodnight, Ellie.”

“Goodnight,” I whisper, my voice barely audible over the rain.

Without another word, he turns and walks back to his car, not looking back. I watch him go, fighting the urge to call him back, to tell him that I didn’twantto stop. That I want him, more than anything.

But I don’t. I can’t. I force myself to take a deep breath and make my way inside, every step feeling heavier than the last.

As I finally make it up the stairs to my apartment, my heart is still racing, my lips still tingling from the kiss. And no matter how hard I try, I can’t stop thinking about how good it felt, how much I want to feel it again.

I close the door behind me, leaning against it, my fingers grazing my lips.What the hell just happened?

I’m in trouble. Big, big trouble.

Chapter four

Cloying Desires

Xander

I sit in my car, rain still beating against the windshield, watching her disappear into her building. What the hell just happened? I promised myself I’d stay away. Ihadstayed away—until tonight. I don’t know what got into me. She looked up at me with those hazel eyes, lips parted, and everything in me snapped.

Now all I can think about is how she tasted, how soft she felt under my hands, and how I’m already craving more.

Fuck.

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