The air between them crackled like a live wire, thick with something neither of them could name—but both understood.
Selene knew she had just given Kieran exactly what he wanted.
A challenge.
An invitation.
A dare.
And Kieran was never the type to back down.
His smirk was slow, dangerous. "You want me to prove it?" His fingers skimmed down her arm, sending shivers through her. "You have no idea what you're asking for."
Selene lifted her chin, even as her breath came quicker. "Then show me."
Kieran's golden eyes burned into hers, something possessive flickering in their depths. "Careful, Selene. Once I do, there's no going back."
A thrill shot through her.
She should be afraid.
Should second-guess what she was stepping into.
But she didn't.
Because the truth was, she had already fallen.
Already crossed the invisible line between caution and recklessness.
Kieran's grip tightened around her wrist, his voice dropping to a low murmur. "I don't do temporary. I don't do halfway." He leaned in, brushing his lips against the shell of her ear. "If you're mine, you're mine."
Selene's heart pounded, her fingers curling into his shirt. "And if I don't belong to anyone?"
Kieran chuckled darkly, his free hand sliding around her waist. "Then I'll just have to change your mind."
The words were a warning—one she should heed.
But instead, she let herself get pulled deeper.
Because, somehow, she already knew—
There was no turning back.
Not from him.
Not from this.
And maybe… she didn't want to.