Chapter 11 Say My Name
His jaw ticked, and he dragged a hand through his hair before placing both hands on his hips, fingers pressing against his belt. He turned slightly away, exhaling sharply through his nose like he was trying to hold himself back.
The silence stretched.
Heavy.
Tense.
Then he turned back to her again.
This time, his voice dropped.
“Come on,” he said, nodding toward the car. “I’ll drop you home.”
It wasn’t a question.
“No, thank you. I can go back on my own,” Sophia said quickly, barely taking a breath.
“You do realize,” he continued, moving another step closer until the distance between them shrank, “you won’t find a cab anywhere around here, right?
” His eyes flicked briefly to the empty road before returning to her face.
“Does this look like a neighborhood where people need to call cabs? They have garages full of cars.”
He tilted his head slightly, watching her reaction.
“Stop being stubborn.” His voice softened just a fraction, but the command in it remained. “Get in the car. I’ll drop you home.”
“I can just walk—”
Sophia turned sharply, clearly intending to leave.
But she barely managed two steps.
His hand shot out, grabbing her wrist.
Her breath hitched.
Before she could react, his fingers slid down, threading firmly between hers, locking their hands together. The warmth of his grip sent a jolt up her arm as he tugged her back.
“Magnus—”
He didn’t let her finish.
With a steady pull, he turned her around and guided her toward the passenger side of his car. “Get in.”
“Magnus, I said I—”
“Get in.”
His voice left no room for argument.
Before she could resist, he opened the door and pressed her down into the seat. The force of it made her stumble slightly as she fell back against the leather.
She stumbled slightly as she fell onto the seat, her hands bracing against the leather. Before she could gather herself, he shut the door firmly.
A second later, he rounded the car and slid into the driver’s seat.
The engine started.
And just like that, they were already moving.
Sophia sat stiffly, her pulse still uneven. She opened her mouth, ready to protest again—but the words died halfway.
What was the point?
With a quiet exhale, she leaned back into the seat and pulled the seatbelt across her chest, fastening it with a soft click.
A displeased expression appeared on his face when he looked at her, his eyes narrowing slightly as he gave her a sharp glance. But she didn’t look back at him. She kept her gaze straight ahead, her posture stiff, as if he wasn’t even there.
That only made his jaw tighten.
He kept stealing glances at her, waiting—expecting some look. A word. Anything.
But she gave him nothing.
Not even a flicker.
Slowly, his back straightened against the seat, his patience thinning as his eyes settled on her, no longer hiding it.
The car slowed and came to a stop in front of her house.
Before he could even reach for the door, Sophia had already opened it and stepped out.
Magnus frowned, pushing his door open and stepping out after her.
“I was about to open the door for you.”
She didn’t stop walking.
“Don’t worry about it,” she said, her tone even.
Her heels clicked softly against the ground as she walked up to the door, her movements quick, almost like she was trying to get away before he could say anything else.
By the time he reached the steps, she had already unlocked the door and stepped inside. Just as she turned to close it—
She froze.
Magnus was right behind her.
He hadn’t left.
Her fingers tightened around the edge of the door for a second before she stepped forward, placing herself in the middle of the doorway, blocking him. A small, polite smile appeared on her lips, but it didn’t reach her eyes.
“Mr. Graves, I appreciate the ride, but you need to go. It’s not right for a man and a woman to be alone in a house.”
Magnus’s eyes lingered on her face. Then a faint smile touched his lips.
“Oh?” he murmured.
Before she could react, he stepped forward and slipped past her into the house, forcing her to stumble back in shock.
“Don’t worry,” he said casually, his voice laced with amusement. “I know you want to jump me, but I won’t accuse you of anything.”
“What? Magnus—!” she snapped, appalled.
She slammed the door a little harder than necessary, the sound echoing through the room. A quiet breath escaped her lips as she tried to steady herself, her chest rising and falling unevenly. Then, she turned and followed him inside.
Magnus moved through the house with unhurried steps, as if he owned every inch of the space.
His hands slipped into his pockets, his shoulders relaxed, but his eyes were sharp—roaming over the furniture, the walls, the smallest details—as though memorizing everything, every corner, every nuance, taking it all in with an intensity that made her pulse quicken.
Sophia stood still, her arms folding unconsciously over her chest, watching him with a guarded expression.
Then he turned.
And started walking toward her.
Sophia’s body stiffened.
Her breath caught slightly as he got closer. Step by step, he closed the distance between them, his gaze locked onto hers. Before she could even steady her breathing, he was right in front of her.
He lowered his head just a little, his eyes locking onto hers.
“I like your place,” he said, his voice softer now. He paused for a brief second, as if searching for the right word. “…It feels like you.”
Her breath caught.
Damn him.
Her fingers curled slightly at her sides.
Her chest rose and fell a little faster. No matter how much she tried to stay unaffected, the moment he stood this close, her body reacted before her mind could stop it.
“Thank you,” she said, her voice not as steady as she wanted.
She immediately took a step back, putting space between them, and lifted her hand to point toward the door.
“You can leave now.”
She tried to move past him—but he stepped forward again.
She stepped back.
He followed.
Again.
And again.
Until her back hit the wall.
The contact made her flinch slightly, her breath catching as she looked up at him.
He stopped right in front of her, one hand lifting to rest lightly against the wall beside her, trapping her in place.
“Why do you keep trying to push me out?” he murmured.
His eyes held hers, sharp and knowing.
“Are you afraid…” he leaned in just a fraction closer, his breath brushing her skin, “…that you’re going to fall in love with me?”
She glared at him, her brows drawing together. “Can you stop being so self-centered?”
Magnus’s smile only deepened at her words, like he didn’t believe a single one of them.
“Are you sure?” he murmured, his voice low, almost teasing. “You’re not affected at all? I can see it in your eyes.”
“There’s nothing in my eyes,” Sophia snapped back instantly.
Her hand shot up to his shoulder, trying to push him away. His arm was still braced against the wall beside her head, his body leaning in, his face far too close.
She pushed harder.
He didn’t move.
Surprise flashed across her face for a second before it turned into frustration.
Magnus’s hand came down, closing around her wrist. His grip wasn’t rough, but it was firm enough to stop her.
Her hands slid down from his shoulders to his chest with the movement, her fingers brushing over the hard lines beneath his shirt.
The contact made her freeze.
His gaze dropped for a second, then lifted back to her face, darker now.
“If you want to touch me,” he murmured, his voice low, “you don’t need an excuse.”
His fingers moved to his shirt, unbuttoning it one by one, exposing the hard lines beneath. Her breath caught sharply, her chest rising as her gaze flicked up to meet his.
The next second, his face dipped down and captured her mouth.
She gasped against his lips, the sound swallowed instantly as he kissed her hard, not giving her a moment to breathe. Her back pressed against the wall, her body trembling under the force of it.
He didn’t pull back.
The kiss turned rougher, his control slipping into something more demanding. Every time she tried to catch her breath, he chased her lips again, leaving her breathless.
His hand left hers and moved to her jaw, gripping it firmly as he tilted her head back, forcing her to meet him exactly where he wanted.
His lips dragged over hers again, slower this tim before he deepened the kiss, pulling her in completely.
Sophia’s hand, still resting against his chest, clenched suddenly into a tight fist. The shock of it, the intensity, flickered across her face.
She tried to pull in a breath—but he didn’t let her.
He only kissed her deeper, harder, relentless in the way he held her there.
The familiar warmth of him, his scent, his closeness—it all wrapped around her at once, dragging her back into memories she had tried to bury. Nights tangled together. The way he used to make her forget everything.
For a moment, it felt like nothing had changed. Like the past two years had never happened.
Her mind went blank.
Only sensation remained.
Her hand, braced weakly against the wall, slipped down as he stepped closer, closing the distance completely and pinning her there. His body pressed against hers, leaving no space between them.
One of his hands slid to her waist, gripping tightly, pulling her even closer into his heat as his mouth claimed hers again.
Her breathing turned uneven, shallow, every thought slipping away as he refused to give her even a second to recover.
When his lips finally left hers, it wasn’t to let her go.
He moved to her ear, his breath hot against her skin before trailing lower along her jaw, down to her neck.
Sophia shuddered.
Her knees weakened, her body giving in to the overwhelming rush of it but he didn’t let her fall.
Without breaking the rhythm, he bent slightly, his hands sliding down to lift her, hooking beneath her knees and pulling her up against him.
Her legs wrapped around his waist instinctively.