The moon hung high, casting silver streaks over the grand estate, but inside, the air was thick—charged with something neither of them could name, yet both could feel.
Nathaniel sat at his desk, unmoving, staring at the untouched glass of whiskey in his hand.
He hadn't taken a sip.
Couldn't.
Because the taste of Rain was still on his tongue.
His fingers twitched, and he exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. He had kissed Rain—claimed his lips with a desperation that left him shaken.
And yet, he had walked away.
His jaw clenched.
It had taken everything in him to do so.
But now, as the silence stretched, as the scent of Rain still clung to his skin, a realization dawned—
He didn't want to walk away.
He couldn't.
A knock at the door.
Nathaniel tensed, his grip tightening around the glass.
He already knew who it was.
Still, he forced himself to sound indifferent. "What?"
The door creaked open, and there he stood—
Rain.
His breath caught.
Dressed in nothing but a loose shirt, his bare legs peeking beneath the hem, Rain looked both fragile and deadly in the dim light.
His silver hair was slightly tousled, his pale skin glowing against the shadows, and his lips—those lips Nathaniel had devoured just moments ago—were parted, as if he was ready to speak, to demand, to take.
Nathaniel didn't move.
Didn't breathe.
Because in Rain's eyes, there was something he had never seen before—
Something dark.
Something determined.
Something dangerous.
"You ran," Rain said, voice soft, almost teasing.
Nathaniel gritted his teeth. "Go back to your room."
Rain took a slow, deliberate step forward.
"No."
Nathaniel's body snapped to attention.
His chair scraped against the marble floor as he stood, his hands planted on the desk, his eyes locked onto Rain's.
"This isn't a game," he warned, voice laced with steel.
Rain tilted his head, his gaze never wavering. "Then stop treating me like something you can just walk away from."
A muscle ticked in Nathaniel's jaw.
The air crackled.
Something between them broke.
The next second—
Rain moved.
So fast.
One moment, he was standing at the door.
The next, he was in front of Nathaniel, gripping his shirt, pulling him forward.
Nathaniel's breath stuttered as Rain's body pressed against his—warm, soft, yet utterly unyielding.
Their faces were inches apart.
"Tell me you don't want this," Rain whispered, his breath ghosting over Nathaniel's lips.
Nathaniel's world tilted.
He was losing control.
And Rain knew it.
The challenge in his eyes, the way he refused to back down—it was pushing Nathaniel to the edge, shoving him over.
His hands moved before he could stop them—gripping Rain's waist, tight, dragging him closer until there was no space left between them.
Their chests rose and fell in unison, their breaths mingling, their bond screaming for more.
Nathaniel swallowed hard.
His voice was a growl, raw and desperate.
"Rain."
But it wasn't a warning.
It was a surrender.
And Rain knew.
A slow, knowing smile curved his lips.
Then—
He leaned in.
Nathaniel snapped.
His restraint shattered.
And this time—
He didn't run.
To Be Continued...