Prologue

Tiana's Pov

The first sliver of dawn was just painting the sky a bruised purple, but the room was still steeped in the heavy, intoxicating scent of him. Of us. My fingers, still trembling slightly, traced the hard line of his jaw, feeling the stubble that had grown rough against my skin during the night. He was asleep, finally, his breathing deep and even, his arm a warm, possessive weight across my waist.

I shouldn't be here. We shouldn't be here. Every fiber of my being screamed it, a frantic, guilty whisper in the quiet of the morning. He was Gabriel. My dad's best friend. The man who had watched me grow up, who had always treated me like a kid, a responsibility. And now... now he was just Gabriel. My Gabriel.

The memory of the night before, of his lips on mine, his hands on my skin, his desperate groans echoing in the darkness, sent a fresh wave of heat through me. It had been a whirlwind, a storm of pent-up desire and forbidden longing, unleashed with a ferocity that had stolen my breath, my sanity, everything. He had fought it, God, he had fought it so hard. His eyes, usually so controlled, had been wild, tormented, as he finally gave in. And I, selfish, desperate, had reveled in every single moment of his surrender.

His body, warm and solid against mine, was a testament to the lines we had not just crossed, but obliterated. My head rested on his shoulder, my ear pressed against his chest, listening to the steady thrum of his heart. It was a sound that now felt like home, a dangerous, exhilarating home.

I shifted slightly, just enough to look at his face. Even in sleep, he was impossibly handsome, a lock of dark hair falling across his forehead. A soft smile touched my lips. This was real. Not a dream. This was our secret. Our dangerous, beautiful secret.

He stirred then, a low groan rumbling in his chest. His eyes fluttered open, heavy-lidded, and for a moment, they were soft, unguarded, as they met mine. A slow, sleepy smile touched his lips.

"Morning, little fire," he whispered, his voice rough with sleep, his arm tightening around me. He pulled me closer, pressing a soft kiss to my hair.

"Morning," I whispered back, my heart swelling. "You okay?"

He chuckled, a low, husky sound that vibrated through me. "More than okay, Tiana. Just... finally." His eyes, now fully open, held a mix of wonder and something else, something dark and possessive. "Did we... really do this?"

I nodded, my gaze locked on his. "We did."

He sighed, a long, shaky breath, and then pressed his lips to my forehead. "I've waited so long for this," he murmured, his voice laced with a desperate tenderness that sent shivers down my spine.

"Longer than you know."

My breath hitched. "Waited? What do you mean?"

His eyes searched mine, a flicker of raw emotion in their depths. "Since after your 17th birthday, Tiana. I watched you grow. I fought it. Every single day. Every time you smiled, every time you laughed, every time you looked at me with those innocent eyes... I wanted you. I've always wanted you." His voice dropped to a possessive growl.

"You were always mine. I just had to wait for you to be ready."

My heart hammered against my ribs, not with swelling love, but with a sudden, chilling realization. This wasn't just a mutual, forbidden desire. This was something deeper, darker. He hadn't just given in last night. He had claimed me. He had been obsessed with me, loved me, long before I ever dared to dream of him.

His gaze, now fully awake, was no longer just tender. It was intense. Possessive. And utterly, undeniably, the gaze of a man who had been waiting, planning, and now, finally, had what he wanted.

He saw the shift in my eyes, the flicker of fear that replaced my earlier triumph. A slow, dangerous smile spread across his lips, a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. He leaned in, pressing a soft, possessive kiss to my temple.

"Don't look so scared, little fire," he murmured, his voice a low, husky growl that vibrated through my skull. "This is exactly where you're meant to be. With me. Always." His arm tightened around my waist, pulling me even closer, as if to physically brand me as his.

I tried to speak, to ask, to understand, but the words caught in my throat. His confession, his possessiveness, it was overwhelming. It was everything I had secretly craved, twisted into something far more terrifying than I had ever imagined. He wasn't just my forbidden fantasy; he was my captor, in a way I hadn't foreseen.

"Gabriel..." I managed, my voice a weak whisper.

He pulled back slightly, just enough to look into my eyes, his gaze piercing. "You're mine now, Tiana. And I won't let anything, or anyone, take you away from me. Not ever again." The last words were a promise, a threat, and a declaration all rolled into one.

My breath hitched. Again? What did he mean, "not ever again"? Had he tried to claim me before? Had he been manipulating things all along? A cold dread began to spread through my veins, chilling me despite the warmth of his body.