"Mmh—!"

The moment my handstrulytouched her—skin beneath silk, heat beneath divinity—her bodyreacted.

Her back arched ever so slightly, pressing closer to me. A small, breathy moan slipped past her lips, vibratingintothe kiss.

And hertongue—

Itmoved.

Not passively, not hesitantly, but with somethingnew. Somethinghungry.

She met me now, not just accepting the kiss, butrespondingto it. Her tongue brushed against mine, hesitant at first, then bolder, pressing,entangling, drawing me deeper into a dance I hadn't expected.

Fuck.

Heat surged through me, raw, uncontrollable.

Her hands, which had remained idle before, began tomove.

One slid up my chest, fingers curling against the fabric of my shirt,clutchingas if grounding herself. The other trailed to my shoulder, gripping,clinging.

Shelikedthis.

Shewantedthis.

And that realization drove memad.

I couldfeelmyself hardening, my length pressing against the constraints of my pants, throbbing against her with every desperate shift of our bodies.

I needed her.

I needed tohaveher.

My hands moved on instinct, roaming lower, lower—

Fingertips grazing the edge of her dress, ready tostrip away the barrier between us—

But then—

"Tch—!"

I felt it.

Somethinginvisibleslammed against me, locking my body in place.

I couldn't move.

My arms, my legs—frozen.

And when I opened my eyes—

I methers.

Selene was staring at me, golden irises burning with somethingindecipherable.

Then she broke the kiss, her lips parting from mine with an almost deliberate slowness, as if she were savoring the final moments of our contact.

We both gasped for breath.

Our chests rose and fell, the heat between us thick, tangible—almost suffocating.

Then, as if nothing had just happened, shesmiled.

"You're not bad..."she murmured, her golden eyes gleaming with amusement.

I let out a breath, my smirk slow, teasing. "Not bad? Younearlylost control just now."

Selene's expression remained composed, but I caught the way her fingerstwitchedslightly against my chest before she pulled them away.

"...I just played along..." she said smoothly.

Alie.

Evident. Obvious.

I chuckled. "You're not being honest."

She arched a perfect brow. "What makes you say that?"

I leaned in slightly, my voice lowering. "You were wriggling under my touch."

She didn't react—not immediately. But there was somethingtoo poisedabout her stillness.

"I don't remember that," she said, her smirk returning. "All I remember is howcrazyyou looked at me. Like you wanted to have me with yourvery being."

I stilled.

Tch.

Ihadforgotten.

She couldread my mind.

She hadfeltevery single twisted thought that had surged through me in that moment.

And she wasn't wrong.

Even though itscratched my pride, even though it made my jaw clench to admit it—

For that brief moment, she hadcompletelyheld me.

I had nearlylost my sanityfromwantingher.

But sowhat?

It would be pathetic todenyit. Aloser's moveto reject what wasfact.

If Itrulywanted toownmyself, then I had toown the truth.

I exhaled slowly, meeting her gaze without hesitation.

"That's right."

Selene's eyes flickered with something unreadable.

"I wanted you so bad."

The words rolled off my tongue, unfiltered, absolute.

"Even now, I crave you."

I watched as her lips parted slightly, as if she hadn'texpectedme to admit it so boldly.

"I want you."

I leaned in just enough for my breath to mix with hers.

"And that...is your power, isn't it?"

Selene's smirk returned, this time sharper, almostpredatory.

"Heh... You finally noticed."

Selenesmiledat that.

A slow, knowing curve of her lips, like she was trulypleasedwith me.

Her fingers moved again,trailingdown my body—slow, deliberate.

Brushing over my chest, tracing the shape of my abdomen, movingdangerously low.

My muscles tensed under her touch, anticipation curling in my gut.

But just when I thought shemight—

Shestopped.

Right at the edge of my waistband.

A tease.

Areminderof who held control in this moment.

"You passed the test,"she murmured.

I raised a brow, smirking despite the heat coursing through me. "Test?Wasn't this areward?"

Selene chuckled, her golden eyes gleaming with amusement.

"My test is your reward, was it not?"

I let out a breathless laugh, shaking my head. "No, it was indeed a reward."*

My fingers flexed against the armrests, my body still burning from her touch.

"I doubt I'll ever experience something like this again."

Selene's smile deepened, amusement flickering through her golden eyes.

"But who says you won't experience this again?" she murmured, tilting her head slightly.

I narrowed my eyes. "Oh?"

She leaned in, just close enough for her breath to ghost over my lips.

"I've taken quite a liking to you," she admitted, her voice smooth, deliberate. "It's been a long time since I've found something...interesting."

Her fingers trailed up my chest again, slow, teasing, as if savoring the sensation of my body beneath her touch.

"And thisburning spiritof yours," she continued, her smirk widening, "I want to see just howfarit will take you. I want you toentertain me—toprovethat you can break free from the chains of your mere mortality."

A slow shiver crawled down my spine.

'This woman...'

She was playing adangerousgame.

'Provoking me like this...'

I licked my lips, my smirk growing. "If it's a game you want..." I breathed,"I'll get you."

And then—

Imoved.

Again.

My bodyscreamedin protest, but Iforcedit forward.

Selene's eyes widened—just slightly—as my armsbroke freefrom her unseen restraints.

Without hesitation, I curled my arms around her waist,pullingher against me, locking her in place.

Our bodies pressed together, my grip firm, unyielding, making herfaceme—makingher look directly into my eyes.

"You will be mine."

My voice was low, steady, absolute.

"Make sure to be prepared for that."

Selene blinked once—thenlaughed.

A sultry, knowing sound.

"Oh my...how confident," she mused, her golden eyes burning with somethingundeniable.

Then—

Shekissedme.

A final, claiming kiss—

But this time, shebitmy lip.

Sharp. Enough to sting. Enough toremindme.

As she pulled away, her lips curved into a smirk.

"Then show me, mortal."

Selene raised her hand, fingers tracing something unseen in the air.

The space around usshifted.

The very air trembled, rippling like the surface of disturbed water.

And then—

Asurge.

The world beneath me tilted, my visiontwisting, colors warping, folding in on themselves.

My stomach lurched, my body weightless—

Like I was beingdraggedthrough existence itself.

Through the distortion, I heard her voice, smooth, sultry, echoing as if carried by the cosmos.

"I will be waiting."

Even as reality fractured around me, I smirked.

"I'll make sure you don't wait too long."

The last thing I saw was her golden eyes, gleaming with amusement—

And then—

Everythingvanished.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by lotustale.com