로그인Closer.......That was all Elyra could think.Zevarion was so close now that she could feel the warmth of his breath against her skin. His hand remained steady against her back, holding her just enough to make the entire world feel unsteady.Neither moved.Neither breathed properly.And this time.....Elyra didn’t think either of them wanted to stop.Her heart pounded painfully against her chest as his gaze stayed fixed on her lips. The tension between them had stretched so tightly that even the smallest movement felt dangerous now.One second more.That was all it would take.Her fingers tightened slightly against his shoulder without realizing it.Zevarion noticed immediately.His eyes lifted back to hers.That tiny reaction nearly destroyed whatever control he had left.Elyra saw it happen.Saw the exact moment restraint became fragile.And instead of fear—something warm and terrifying spread slowly through her chest.Because she wanted this too.God.She actually wanted this.“Ze
The rest of the evening became unbearable after the balcony.Not awkward.Worse.Every glance between them carried too much meaning now.Every accidental brush of fingers.Every second of eye contact.Everything felt loaded with the memory of what almost happened outside.Elyra stood beside one of the long tables pretending to listen to a conversation about international investments while her thoughts replayed the balcony scene for what felt like the hundredth time.“You’re distracted again.”She looked up immediately.Victor stood beside her now, holding a glass casually while observing her carefully.“I’m listening,” Elyra replied smoothly.Victor smiled faintly. “No. You’re thinking.”Her heartbeat shifted slightly.Dangerous man.Victor’s gaze moved subtly across the hall toward Zevarion before returning to her. “Interesting.”Elyra narrowed her eyes slightly. “What is?”“You both look like something happened.”Too direct.Far too direct.Elyra immediately reached for her drink ju
“Zevarion…”The way she said his name changed the entire atmosphere between them.Something in his expression shifted immediately.Not dramatic.Not obvious.Just enough for Elyra to see it.That control he carried so carefully around her?It was slipping.And somehow, realizing that made her heartbeat even more dangerous.The cool wind moved softly around them, but neither noticed anymore. The balcony, the city lights below, the music from inside the hall....everything faded into background noise.Only him remained.Only the way he was looking at her now.Too intensely.Too closely.Elyra’s fingers tightened lightly against the railing behind her as Zevarion stayed directly in front of her, close enough that she could feel the warmth of his breathing.Neither moved.Neither stepped back.And that was the problem.“You shouldn’t say my name like that,” he said quietly.Her breath caught softly. “Like what?”His eyes lowered briefly again.To her lips.Then back to her eyes.“Like you
The moment his hand tightened against her back, Elyra stopped breathing for half a second.Not because the movement was rough.Because it wasn’t.It was controlled.Gentle.Deliberate.And somehow that made it worse.The crowded hall around them blurred into distant noise while Zevarion held her just slightly closer than before. Not enough to draw attention.Enough to make her pulse impossible to ignore.“You’re doing that again,” she whispered softly.“Doing what?”“Acting like you don’t realize what you’re doing to me.”A faint pause followed.Then honestly......“I realize.”The answer settled directly into her chest.Warm.Dangerous.Elyra’s fingers tightened slightly around the stem of her glass as she tried holding his gaze steadily. Big mistake.He was looking at her too intensely tonight.Too openly.And the worst part?He wasn’t hiding it anymore.“You should stop looking at me like that in public,” she murmured quietly.“And you should stop reacting every time I do.”That co
“You look incredibly bored.”Elyra glanced at the stranger standing beside her, trying to keep her expression polite despite the fact that she was suddenly very aware of Zevarion across the room.Watching.Closely.The man extended his hand smoothly. “Rafael.”“Elyra.”His smile widened slightly. “Beautiful name.”Normally, compliments like that wouldn’t affect her one way or another.Tonight?Tonight she felt something else entirely.Because she could practically feel Zevarion’s attention from across the room now.Heavy.Sharp.Possessive.And somehow......that awareness made her heartbeat shift.“You don’t seem like you enjoy these gatherings,” Rafael continued casually.“I don’t.”“That’s unfortunate. People usually come here looking for connections.”Elyra lifted her glass slightly. “Maybe I’m not looking.”Rafael laughed softly. “Then whoever brought you here is very lucky.”Across the room...Zevarion’s jaw tightened.Elyra noticed immediately.And suddenly she understood somet
Elyra spent far too long deciding what to wear that evening.Which annoyed her.Because normally, she didn’t care this much.She stood in front of the mirror staring at the dark emerald dress laid across the bed behind her, arms crossed lightly while arguing with herself internally.This was ridiculous.It was just a gathering.Just business partners.Just people.So why did she suddenly care whether Zevarion looked at her tonight?The answer came too quickly.Because she wanted him to.That realization made her exhale sharply.Dangerous.Very dangerous.A soft knock interrupted her thoughts.“You’re taking longer than usual,” Zevarion’s voice came from outside the room.Elyra immediately looked toward the door. “Are you timing me now?”“Maybe.”She narrowed her eyes slightly despite knowing he couldn’t see it through the door. “That’s concerning.”A faint pause followed before his quieter reply came.“Are you almost ready?”Something about the softness in his voice made her chest tig







