Chapter 7

Lilith’s POV

The first thing I felt was warmth.

Not the kind that comes from a blanket or a heater, but from a body. A real body. Somewhere behind me, a slow, steady breath touched the back of my neck. An arm lay across my waist, heavy but gentle, holding me like someone afraid I would disappear if he let go.

My eyes snapped open.

For a moment, I didn’t even understand what I was looking at. The ceiling above me wasn’t the white that defined my room at Verona Estate, it was wood. The air smelled subtly like citrus and men’s soap. The sheets were softer. And the room was quiet in a way no room in Lucian’s home ever was.

Then memory hit me all at once.

Damien’s hands.

His mouth.

The way I came apart under him like I had been waiting years for someone to touch me without cruelty.

The sound I made when he kissed my neck.

The way my body responded before my mind could catch up.

Heat shot under my skin.

I turned my head slightly, just enough to see him.

Damien was asleep, bare-chested, one arm under his pillow, the other wrapped around me like it belonged there. His face relaxed in sleep, none of the sharpness he carried when awake. His lashes lay like small black curtains. In sleep his mouth softened. He just looked… human.

He looked younger somehow, not in age but in permission, permitted to be open, permitted to be gentle.

My heart gave an uncomfortable squeeze.

I shouldn’t be here.

I definitely shouldn’t feel this calm.

Because the truth was horrifying in its simplicity: I had slept.

Not the light, suspicious sleep I lived with in Lucian’s bed.

Not the kind where you wake at every sound.

A real deep sleep.

I didn’t even know my body remembered how to do that.

Slowly, I lifted Damien’s arm and slipped out from under it, inch by inch. My legs felt unsteady when they touched the floor. My underwear lay a few feet away, tangled with my jeans.

I swallowed hard, bending to pick them up.

My thighs ached in a way I wasn’t used to… pleasure, not pain. It made my breath catch.

I dressed quickly, my fingers clumsy as I buttoned my blouse. Every sound I made felt too loud. The house was quiet, like it was holding its breath with me.

I touched my lips.

The memory of a few hours ago clung there, stubborn and warm.

I shouldn’t have gone to him.

I shouldn’t have kissed him back.

I shouldn’t have…woken up feeling more like myself in a stranger’s bed than I had in my own in years.

The sheets rustled behind me, and I froze.

“Leaving?” Damien’s voice came out low, rough, still thick with sleep. He sounded different like this, more calmer, slower, almost… vulnerable.

I turned.

He was sitting up now, hand running through his messy hair, eyes half-open but focused entirely on me.

I tried to look composed. It was a joke.

His gaze dropped briefly to my blouse, still half-unbuttoned. My breath caught when his eyes lifted again.

“Come here,” he murmured.

Not an order. Not a threat.

A request.

And somehow that was more dangerous.

I didn’t move.

But Damien did.

He stood, crossed the small distance, and reached for my waist before I even decided what to do. His hand slid around me, drawing me closer. Not forceful… just sure. His body was warm, his chest against my blouse, and my resolve cracked right down the middle.

“Damien…” I whispered, but it didn’t sound like a protest, it was as if I was inviting him.

He dipped his head and kissed me slowly, his hand sliding up to cradle my breast.

Like he wasn’t trying to rush me… like he wanted to see how long it took me to give in again.

My fingers curled into his shoulder before I even realized they had moved.

Something inside me pulled toward him like a magnet snapping into place.

For a second… just one… I let myself lean into it. Let my mouth answer his. Let the heat spread through me again.

Then panic punched through the haze.

“I can’t,” I breathed, pulling back. “I have to go. Lucian… he’ll be back.”

Damien’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t try to stop me again. His eyes studied me with a frustration that didn’t look angry, just… worried. And something else I couldn’t name.

“You don’t have to run home like you’re being hunted.”

“I do,” I said quietly. “I have no choice.”

His hand slid up to my chin, tilting it. His thumb brushed my lower lip once, slow enough to make my heart stutter.

“You had a choice a few hours ago,” he said. “You chose me.”

I didn’t have an answer.

Because he was right.

I stepped back, freeing myself from his warmth. My body protested the distance immediately, which made it worse.

Damien watched every movement as I grabbed my scarf and bag.

“Lilith.”

I paused at the door.

His voice softened. “Be careful.”

I swallowed, nodded once, and left.

The evening air felt too bright when I stepped outside. I climbed into the car, shut the door, and sat there for a moment, gripping the steering wheel until my hands stopped trembling.

What I did replayed in flashes in my head. Damien's mouth on my throat, his hands on my hips, the way he whispered my name.

My face burned.

I should feel guilty. Maybe I did. But the guilt was nothing compared to the fear of what would happen if Lucian found out.

The drive back to the estate felt both too long and too short. Every red light made my heart slam, every turn made my stomach twist.

By the time I reached the Verona gates, I felt physically sick.

The mansion was quiet, intimidating, massive against the sky. Even from the car, it felt like it was watching me.

I parked in my usual spot. My palms were sweaty against the steering wheel. I kept wiping them on my jeans, but it didn’t help.

When I stepped out of the car, my knees felt weak.

I smelled like Damien’s soap. Like him. Even after the shower. Even after the drive, my chest tightened.

I closed the car door quietly…

“Lilith!”

I jumped.

Sophie ran toward me from the front entrance, out of breath. Her hair was slightly messy, her shirt untucked. When she reached me, she grabbed my hand hard.

Her fingers were shaking.

“Where have you been?” she hissed, eyes wide. “I’ve been calling. You weren’t answering.”

My throat tightened.

“I—”

“Lilith,” she cut in, voice dropping. “Lucian has been looking for you.”

Everything inside me stilled.

A cold rushed through my chest so fast I couldn’t breathe.

“What?”

“He’s back,” Sophie whispered. “I met him when I arrived. And he’s furious.”

My heart stopped.

Just stopped.

The world around me blurred, and t

he only thing I heard was the echo of Damien’s voice in my head.

Be careful.

But it was too late.