Chapter Three AURORA #3
My heart nearly stopped. Because somehow, the devil had stopped sounding like a devil at all.
He looked down at me for a long moment. And then he smiled.
Not the lazy smile. Not the smug one. This one was slower.
Darker. Like he'd just realized something and decided he liked the answer entirely too much.
"You know," he said quietly, stepping closer, "you chased me."
Heat rushed into my face. “Stop talking.”
"You crossed an entire club for me, little troublemaker."
The words should have annoyed me. Instead they slid through me and lodged somewhere dangerous. Because he wasn't teasing now. He was certain. And certainty looked unfairly good on him.
I opened my mouth to argue. Nothing came out. His gaze dropped to my lips. Then lifted again. Slowly. Deliberately. Like he was taking his time. Like he already knew I wasn't walking away.
His hand lifted and settled lightly against my jaw, thumb brushing my cheek. Not soft enough to feel hesitant. Not forceful enough to take away choice. Just there. Certain. Present. His eyes never left mine.
"Look at you," he said quietly, almost amused. "Still standing here, so desperate for this."
My heart betrayed me. Because I was. I absolutely was. Every smart thing I could've said vanished. Every argument disappeared. The music beyond the walls felt far away. The room felt smaller. And somehow he felt bigger. Like he filled every space around me without even trying.
"Will you fight back when you taste me?" he asked.
Not because he sounded unsure. Because he sounded like the answer mattered. I stared at him. One heartbeat. Two.
Then, I lifted my chin slightly. "You talk too much."
His mouth curved. Then he closed the distance. And this time there were no games left between us.
I had imagined first kisses before. Soft ones. Sweet ones. The kind girls whispered about with shy smiles and pink cheeks. Gentle hands. Tender words. Fireworks and music and all the ridiculous things movies promised.
This wasn't like that. Because the second his hand slid around my waist, something inside me forgot how to breathe.
Not because he was hurting me. Because he wasn't. Because his fingers spread against my back like he already knew exactly where they belonged.
Like they had been waiting. Like I had been waiting.
And I became very, very aware of how much bigger he was.
How close. How little space existed between us.
His eyes dropped to my mouth. Stayed there long enough that heat crawled into my cheeks.
Long enough that I forgot what I had been about to say.
Long enough that my entire body realized what was happening before my brain did.
"Stop looking at me like that," I whispered.
Like you already made up your mind. Like you already decided this was happening. Like you were just waiting for me to catch up.
I never said any of it.
Because his hand tightened slightly at my waist. Not enough to trap me. Just enough that I felt it. Just enough that my heart stumbled.
And when he kissed me again… It wasn't gentle. But it wasn't rushed either. It felt like he was taking his time. Like he was trying to steal something. Like he was claiming it. Like he wanted me to remember it. Forever.
And the horrifying part was that I already knew I would.
The devil’s kiss tasted like heaven and hell combined.
His mouth pried mine apart, his tongue sliding between my lips and taking any shred of innocence I had left.
I never imagined kisses could be… downright pornographic.
But when his hand snaked up, locking my neck in place, I didn’t pull back.
I let him have what he’d won, fair and square.
My body betrayed me and I leaned into the dirty kiss, body molding to his, eager for more of his tight grip.
For one terrifying second my brain just... Stopped. No clever comeback. No dramatic outrage. No this is a terrible idea alarm screaming inside my head. Nothing.
Because all I could think about was him. About the hand still against my jaw. About the warmth of him standing too close. About the way the stupid devil mask brushed lightly against my cheek.
I had expected arrogance. Expected some cocky, victorious smirk afterward. Expected him to kiss me like he'd won something.
Instead, he kissed me like he'd been thinking about it for longer than he should have. Like all those ridiculous games and teasing comments had been building toward this one moment.
My fingers curled instinctively into the front of his jacket. Tiny movement. Barely anything. But I felt him notice. Oh, he noticed. Because his hand tightened slightly at my waist. Not enough to hold me there. Just enough to say I felt that. Just enough to send my heartbeat into absolute betrayal.
When he finally pulled back, it wasn't far. Because apparently this man had never heard of personal space in his entire life. His forehead rested lightly against mine. He wasn't smiling. Just staring at me, like I'd become the most interesting thing in the room.
Then his eyes narrowed slightly. “Well.”
I blinked. "Well what?"
Slowly, that smug smile returned. "Oh, little troublemaker."
“Stop calling me that,” I managed.
Immediate suspicion woke up inside me. His mouth twitched. "You are in serious trouble now. Because now I know what you taste like.”