The storm had rolled in faster than they expected.
One moment, the city had been bathed in sunshine, the next, it was drenched in rain, thunder rumbling through the sky like a warning. Aurora stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows, watching the storm lash against the glass as if the heavens themselves were angry.
Dominic, however, had other things on his mind.
He sat at the bar in the corner, swirling a glass of whiskey in his hand, his gaze fixed on her. Every now and then, his eyes flicked to the storm outside, but mostly, he was watching her—watching the way she moved, the way the soft glow of the lights kissed her skin.
She felt the weight of his stare, even before she turned to face him.
"What are you thinking?" she asked, her voice soft, but tinged with curiosity.
His lips curled into a small, almost unreadable smile. "About how you've been avoiding me."
"I haven't been avoiding you," she replied, though her tone was defensive. "I'm just not used to being caged in by a storm."
"You've been avoiding me for days now," he said, rising from the bar. "Physically and mentally."
Aurora's eyes narrowed. "You're imagining things."
He crossed the room in two long strides and stood in front of her, close enough for her to feel the heat radiating off of him. The air between them thickened, charged with something that wasn't there before.
Something more dangerous.
Dominic tilted his head slightly, his blue eyes flicking to her lips, then back to her eyes. His presence was overwhelming, like a storm that could rip apart everything in its path. His voice dropped lower, thick with intent.
"I'm not imagining this," he said quietly. "The way you can't seem to look me in the eye without wanting to tear me apart."
Her breath hitched. She wanted to argue, but the words seemed stuck in her throat. His words were too close to the truth.
"You're out of your mind," she muttered, but even she didn't believe it.
His lips twitched upward. "I'm being honest, Aurora. And you're not the only one who's been avoiding the inevitable."
"I'm not avoiding anything," she snapped, crossing her arms in front of her as if to protect herself from him. "You just don't know how to take no for an answer."
Dominic's hand shot out, gripping her arm with a surprising force, pulling her closer to him. His other hand reached up, fingers brushing the side of her face, tracing the line of her jaw gently, as though trying to memorize the feel of her skin.
Aurora didn't move. Didn't pull away.
Her heart hammered in her chest.
"You can keep pretending," he murmured, his breath warm against her ear. "But we both know it's only a matter of time before this—" His hand slid down to her waist, his thumb brushing the small of her back. "—becomes something we can't walk away from."
His words ignited something deep within her. Something primal. She tried to push him away, but her body betrayed her, leaning into his touch instead.
"You're arrogant," she breathed, though the words felt weak in her mouth.
"Maybe," he said, his lips brushing against her ear, "but I'm right."
Before she could respond, before she could form the words that might end this madness before it got any worse, the sound of her phone ringing sliced through the tension in the room.
Dominic didn't let her go immediately, his hand still resting on her back, but the moment the phone rang again, he stepped back, as if the interruption had pulled him out of the trance they'd both fallen into.
Aurora took a deep breath, her fingers trembling as she grabbed her phone from the table. She didn't even check the caller ID before answering.
"Aurora," the voice on the other end said, "it's your lawyer. We've got a problem."
Her heart dropped. "What happened?"
"There's a second leak. Someone's sent a new batch of photos to the press. More intimate than the last ones."
Aurora's blood ran cold. "Who?"
"We're still tracing it, but it's only a matter of time before it goes public," the lawyer replied. "You need to prepare yourself. It's not just an affair this time—it's a full-blown scandal."
Dominic's gaze never left her. The moment she pulled the phone away from her ear, his hand was on her shoulder.
"What's going on?" he asked, his voice low, filled with tension.
Aurora turned to him, trying to control the panic rising in her chest. "It's him," she whispered. "My ex. He's escalating. The photos... they're worse this time."
Dominic's jaw clenched, his hand tightening on her shoulder. "We'll deal with it."
"I'm not sure there's anything left to deal with," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "This is bad, Dom. Really bad."
He didn't speak for a long moment. Then, he moved closer, his voice soft but firm. "We're not letting him win. Not this time."
Aurora stared at him, her breath shallow. There was a fire in his eyes—an intensity that was both comforting and terrifying. The storm outside was nothing compared to the storm that seemed to brew between them.
"You don't get it," she whispered, her throat tightening. "This is going to ruin everything."
His hand moved up to her face again, his thumb brushing against her cheek in a tender gesture that felt at odds with the rawness of the moment. "No, it won't. We'll fix this. Together."
A part of her wanted to believe him. Another part, the more logical part, knew she was too deep in this mess to climb out easily. But standing there, with him so close, something inside of her softened.
She couldn't let this go. Not now. Not when the pull between them was so undeniable.
"I can't…" she started, but the words died in her throat.
Before she could speak again, Dominic's lips crashed onto hers.
It wasn't gentle.
It wasn't slow.
It was a storm—a violent clash of urgency, passion, and unspoken need. His hands tangled in her hair, pulling her closer as if he were afraid she might slip away. And for the first time in days, Aurora didn't fight him. She didn't push him away.
She kissed him back.
Everything else—the scandal, the lies, the pressure of the world outside—disappeared. There was only him. Only the way he tasted. The way he made her feel like she was on fire. Every inch of her was on fire.
But as quickly as it started, the kiss ended. Both of them gasped for air, their foreheads pressed together.
Aurora's chest rose and fell as she tried to regain some sense of control. Her hands were still on his chest, feeling the thrum of his heartbeat. She was shaken. She was dizzy.
And yet, in that moment, she knew one thing for sure:
This was just the beginning.