ĐОКŃи(Loganâs POV)âYou wonât,â I swear, cupping her face like sheâs the only thing anchoring me. "Iâd burn this whole fucking world before I let anything come between us again.âHer eyes flicker. Something shifts. And then she leans in, her lips brushing mineânot a kiss, just a promise. A silent I believe you.But that soft moment? It lasts exactly three seconds.Because the second she exhales my name, all calm burns to ash.âLoganâŚâ she breathes, voice barely there.âYeah, Baby?â I whisper, thumb tracing her cheek.âProve it.âAnd just like that, I'm gone.My mouth crashes into hers, no hesitation. No gentleness. Just months of obsession, of war, of almost losing her. Tongue, teeth, heat, her gasp pouring into me like oxygen, like a goddamn drug.She tastes like trust and salt and everything Iâve ever been too fucked up to deserve.I grip the back of her thighs and lift her straight off the bed, her robe slipping open, those soft bare legs wrapping tight around my waist.Her fingers fis
(Loganâs POV)Her heart is breaking, and I can see it.And for the first goddamn time⌠I donât know if I can fix it before she believes the lie.So I donât try. I turn and walk. Not because Iâm guilty. Not because Iâm ashamed. But because if I stay there a second longer watching that flicker of doubt take root in her eyes, Iâll fucking lose it.My boots hit the stairs heavy, like thunder down the marble. The mansion stretches around me, cold and silent. I head straight for my room. Slam the door behind me. The sound echoes like a shot.I pace.Back and forth like a caged animal, heart hammering in my ribs.She canât believe her.She knows me. Sheâs supposed to know me.I drag my hand through my hair, fist clenched so tight my knuckles scream.Why didnât I throw Sophia out sooner? Why didnât I see this coming?Because I underestimated her.Because I let one moment of controlâone choice to make Sophia hear the rejection with her own damn earsâbecome fuel for her game.I grab the whiske
(Loganâs POV)Her gasp is sharp when I jerk her head back. The perfume sheâs wearing is expensive but too sweet, like itâs trying too hard.âTry again,â I growl, my fingers tight in her hair. âTell me what youâre actually doing in my room at two in the morning.âShe swallows hard, but she doesnât pull away. If anything, she arches her back a little, lips parted like sheâs trying to look wanton. âIâm not looking for love, Logan,â she says softly. âIâm not stupid.âMy mouth curves in something that isnât a smile. âGood start. Keep talking.ââI know what you and Aria have,â she breathes, eyes flicking over my chest. âBut youâre young. Sheâs older. She canât give you what you need, not really. Youâve got too much fire in you to waste it. And meâŚâ Her tongue wets her bottom lip. âI donât mind being a side girl. No drama. No fighting. Just⌠satisfaction. Youâll like it. I promise.âI bark out a low, humorless laugh. âJesus Christ, Sophia. Do you rehearse this in the mirror, or do you wing i
(Ariaâs POV)The knock comes just after midnight.Iâm barefoot in the kitchen, pouring wine. The knock is softâtoo soft to be Logan. Itâs hesitant. AlmostâŚhopeful.For a second, I think about ignoring it. Let them knock all damn night. But something pulls me toward the door anyway.When I open it, the hallway light spills out and frames herâSophiaâstanding there like she never tore me in two.Her mascaraâs smudged. Sheâs wearing one of those oversized sweaters that always slip off one shoulder like a calculated accident. No makeup except the remnants of what mustâve been a very long day. Or a long cry.She doesnât speak at first. Just stands there on my doorstep, fingers twisted in her sleeve, eyes glassy.And for a heartbeat, I want to slam the door.But instead, I say, âYouâve got some fucking nerve.âSophia exhales, her lips twitching with something almost like a laughâbut itâs broken. âI deserve that.âI lean against the doorframe, arms crossed, rage bubbling just beneath my skin.
(Ariaâs POV)Thatâs the push and pull, Baby Girl, he murmurs, kissing my shoulder. You push, I pull, and we burn the whole world down.I donât answer. I just shiver and let him hold me, the taste of him still on my tongue and the echo of his voice still in my bones.My body is boneless beneath him, wrecked and stretched and trembling. My thighs are sticky, my throat raw from screaming his name, and I can still feel the aftershocks twitching in my belly.He shifts above me, not pulling out, just softening inside me like he has no intention of letting me go.âBreathe, Baby,â he murmurs, kissing the back of my neck. âYouâre still shaking.âI try. But my chest is tight. My headâs spinning and Iâm not sure if itâs afterglow⌠or panic.Because God help meâwhat the hell are we doing?âYou didnât have to be so rough,â I whisper, voice hoarse.He lifts his head, brushing my hair away to look at me. His expression is unreadableâsomewhere between regret and pride.âYou were spiraling,â he says.
(Ariaâs POV) âToo slow.â His grin is wicked. âNow you deal with what you started.âHe lets go of my wrists only long enough to rip my shirt open â buttons scatter across the floor like tiny marbles â and the cool air hits my bare skin. My nipples tighten instantly. He palms my breasts, rough thumbs dragging across my nipples until my back arches off the bed.âFuck, youâre beautiful when you hate me,â he mutters, biting at my collarbone. âAll that fire, and still you melt.âHis mouth trails down, sucking bruises into my skin, wet and biting at the same time, until heâs at my stomach. He drags his tongue low, slow, over the edge of my panties.âStill telling yourself you donât want this?â he asks, his breath hot against my skin.âLoganâŚâ Itâs half a plea, half a warning.âYeah, Baby Girl?â His fingers hook the waistband of my panties and drag them down my thighs, knuckles grazing my hips. âStill dripping.âHe parts my legs with his shoulders, hands sliding under my thighs to hold them







