Chapter Four: Promises in the Dark

It was a deadly game we played, but I couldn’t stop. Every rational thought in my mind was drowned out by the pounding in my chest, the fire licking at my veins. Ivy was in my arms again, her body pressed against mine, and all I could think about was how badly I needed her, needed this.

My hands were desperate, as though they didn’t belong to me, sliding beneath her dress, lifting it higher, feeling the heat of her skin as I drew her closer. She gasped against my mouth as I pulled her against me, and I swallowed the sound greedily. I couldn’t get enough of her, her scent, her touch, her warmth. Everything about her set my blood on fire.

“You don’t have to say no, Ivy,” I murmured against her neck, my lips trailing down to her pulse. “Not now, not when it’s too late.”

Her breath hitched as I pushed her gently against the stone wall, my hands exploring the curves of her body, feeling the tension in her muscles. She was trembling, but not from fear. No, this was different. This was desire.

“You feel it too,” I said, voice low, just above a growl. “Don’t pretend like you don’t.”

She was quiet for a moment, as though she were still trying to hold on to something, her morals, her future with my brother. But I could see the cracks in her resolve. The way her hands moved to my chest, pulling me closer, urging me on. The way her lips parted slightly, inviting me to take more.

“Killian… we can’t…” Her voice was shaky, weak.

But I didn’t care. I couldn’t care. I wasn’t about to pull away, not when I knew she wanted this as much as I did.

“I’m not letting you go,” I said, my tone final as I kissed her again, harder this time. She moaned against my mouth, and it made my control slip further. My hands moved with purpose, tearing at the fabric that stood between us, desperate to feel her, to claim her fully.

When I finally felt her bare skin beneath my fingertips, I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding. It was too much, her skin, her body, all of it so perfect, so intoxicating. I could feel her heart beating against mine, a frantic rhythm that matched mine in every way.

I kissed her harder, deeper, pulling her legs around my waist, lifting her effortlessly. She gasped, her hands grasping at my shoulders, and for a moment, I almost lost myself in her. The need was overwhelming, the connection so raw, so pure. But I didn’t let myself drown in it, not completely. I wouldn’t. Because as much as I wanted her, I couldn’t let this be everything.

I had to remember who I was.

I had to remember who she was.

I pulled back, my chest heaving with the effort to maintain control. “Ivy,” I said, my voice strained. “This can’t happen again. Not after tonight. You belong to my brother.”

Her breath was ragged as she looked up at me, her eyes glazed with want and confusion. She opened her mouth to say something, but I didn’t give her the chance. I kissed her again, a final, desperate claim, before setting her gently back on her feet.

“This ends here,” I whispered against her lips, though every part of me screamed to take more.

She didn’t move. She just stood there, looking up at me, her lips swollen, her body trembling from the aftermath. I could see the conflict in her eyes, but I didn’t allow myself to care. I couldn’t.

She was my brother’s fiancée. And I promised myself, after tonight, I would never touch her again.

I turned away before I could second-guess myself, forcing myself to step back. But I knew that I would never forget this, forget her. Because no matter how hard I tried, Ivy Lancaster had gotten under my skin in a way no woman ever had before.

And now, I had to live with the consequences.