Kaelith's grip tightened around Seraphine's waist as he pulled her closer, his body pressing against hers with an undeniable force. The silk of her ruined gown slipped further, exposing more of her skin to his touch, but he didn't rush to claim her. No—he wanted her to feel every second of this, to understand that she was his in ways she had yet to admit.
"You fight me with your words," he murmured, his lips brushing over the shell of her ear, "but your body betrays you every time."
Seraphine shuddered beneath him, her breath shallow as his hands explored her, tracing over every inch of exposed skin. He could feel her resisting still, a war raging inside her—but she wasn't pulling away.
Instead, she did something he didn't expect.
She lifted her hands to his chest and pushed—not hard enough to break free, but enough to challenge him. Enough to tell him that she would not simply let him have her without a fight.
Kaelith's lips curled into a dark smile. "Is that how you want to play this?"
Seraphine's gaze burned with something fierce, something unspoken. "I won't make it easy for you," she whispered.
A slow, dangerous chuckle rumbled from his chest. "Good," he said, before claiming her mouth in a kiss that stole the breath from her lungs.
It was no longer a careful game of restraint. His fingers slid lower, grasping what remained of her gown, and this time, there was no hesitation. He tore the fabric away, the sound of it ripping through the silence between them.
Seraphine gasped, her body arching into him instinctively, but he didn't stop. His lips followed the path of his hands, tasting, marking, branding her as his own. She let out a soft, breathless moan, her fingers threading into his hair, pulling, demanding as much from him as he took from her.
He wanted her wrecked.
He wanted her surrender.
But he also wanted her fire.
"You keep pushing me, little dove," he murmured against her skin, his breath hot as he kissed lower. "Let's see how far you can take it before you break."
Seraphine's breath hitched, but she met his gaze with a defiance that only made his hunger for her grow.
And Kaelith had never been one to back down from a challenge.
To be continued…
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This chapter takes things even further while keeping the tension sharp between them. Seraphine is no longer just resisting—she's challenging him, making this moment more than just dominance and surrender. The push-and-pull between them makes their connection even more explosive.