Bound by Fire

Elijah's breath came shallow, his pulse hammering against his throat. The air between him and Dante was thick—almost suffocating. The scent of Dante's cologne, warm spice and something unmistakably him, wrapped around Elijah like a vice.

Dante's fingers, still lightly brushing against Elijah's wrist, traced slow, deliberate patterns along his skin. "You're tense, tesoro." His voice was low, teasing. "What are you thinking about?"

Elijah scoffed, jerking his hand away. "I'm thinking about how much of a pain in the ass you are."

Dante smirked. "Mmm. That's funny, considering you don't seem to mind my presence as much as you pretend to."

Elijah took a step back, but Dante matched it instantly, invading his space again, until Elijah's back hit the cool surface of the wall. His breath hitched as Dante caged him in with one hand beside his head, his body mere inches away.

"You keep running," Dante murmured, tilting his head. "But your eyes tell me a different story."

Elijah swallowed hard, cursing himself for the way his body betrayed him. He should shove Dante away. Should put distance between them. But instead, he was rooted to the spot, heat spreading through his chest.

Dante leaned in, voice dropping into something almost conspiratorial. "Tell me, Elijah. Are you afraid of what might happen if you stop fighting me?"

Elijah clenched his jaw. "I'm not fighting you."

Dante's smirk deepened. "Exactly."

Silence stretched between them, taut and electric. Dante's gaze flickered down to Elijah's lips for a fraction of a second—so fast it could have been imagined. But Elijah saw it. Felt it. And his entire body tensed.

He needed to put a stop to this.

Before he did something reckless.

Before he let Dante win.

But Dante, as always, had other plans.

He reached up, brushing a stray lock of hair from Elijah's forehead, his fingers lingering a beat too long. Elijah sucked in a sharp breath, his resolve wavering.

Dante leaned in just enough that Elijah could feel the ghost of his breath against his cheek. "Tell me to stop," he murmured.

Elijah's heart pounded. His hands curled into fists. He should say it. He should push Dante away, regain control of this dangerous game they were playing.

But the words never came.

Because the truth was, Elijah didn't want him to stop.

And Dante knew it.

So when he closed the remaining distance between them, his lips barely brushing against Elijah's—just a whisper of contact, a test of boundaries—Elijah's restraint snapped.

With a low curse, he grabbed Dante by the collar and crashed their mouths together.

Dante groaned into the kiss, his grip tightening around Elijah's waist, pulling him flush against him. The heat between them ignited into something fierce, something uncontrollable.

And for the first time, Elijah didn't fight it.

Didn't fight him.

Not anymore.

To Be Continued…

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