Bella woke to the sensation of warmth against her skin, her body still tangled in silk sheets that smelled like him—dark, rich, and intoxicating.
For a moment, she didn't move.
Last night had been a mistake.
A reckless, earth-shattering mistake that left her body aching and her mind spinning. She had known getting involved with Damien Sinclair was dangerous. She had known she was supposed to be watching him, gathering intel, keeping herself at a distance.
And yet, she had fallen. Hard.
A shift in the bed beside her made her breath hitch.
She turned her head, expecting to see him still asleep—but Damien was already awake, propped up on one elbow, watching her.
The intensity in his gaze made her stomach tighten.
"Regrets?" he murmured, his voice rough from sleep.
Bella swallowed, trying to steady herself. "I should."
His lips twitched in a knowing smirk. "But you don't."
She didn't respond. She couldn't.
Because the truth was, he was right.
Every logical part of her screamed that this was wrong. That she was in way over her head.
But logic had no place in the way her body responded to him—the way he owned every inch of her last night, unraveling her piece by piece until she was left with nothing but him.
Damien reached out, running a lazy finger down her arm. "You're thinking too much."
Bella exhaled sharply. "Because I know this shouldn't be happening."
His fingers paused. Then, slowly, he leaned in, brushing his lips against her jaw. "But it is happening," he murmured, his breath warm against her skin. "And it's only the beginning."
Bella's pulse quickened.
She should push him away. Should get out of this bed, gather her clothes, and walk away before she lost herself completely.
But when Damien's lips brushed against hers again—slow, deliberate, possessive—her resolve shattered.
She let out a quiet gasp as he deepened the kiss, pulling her back into the fire.
Maybe she was already too far gone.
Maybe it was too late to save herself.
But as Damien rolled her beneath him, claiming her all over again, one thing became painfully clear.
She never wanted to be saved