Page 65 of Sticks & Serpents

This isn’t who you are,whispered a voice in the back of my mind.

But it was drowned out by the thundering pulse of desire coursing through me every time he pulled me closer. I craved this connection—the way he made me feel alive when everything else felt suffocatingly dead.

Damien broke the kiss for a breath, his forehead resting against mine as we both panted for air. His eyes searched mine, fierce and wild, as if trying to read my thoughts through the chaos that spun between us.

What am I doing?The question fluttered somewhere deep within me, but it barely registered above the roar of need crashing over everything else.

He leaned in again, brushing his lips against mine softly this time—tentative yet laced with urgency—and it shattered whatever resolve remained inside me.

The rain was relentless, cold against my skin, but I didn’t feel it. All I felt was Damien.

The heat of his body radiated through the thin fabric of my shirt, a stark contrast to the chill enveloping us. His kiss was raw and desperate, igniting a fire within me that pushed aside every ounce of doubt and fear I’d clung to moments before. My fingers slid into his wet hair, tugging him closer, needing him to fill the void that threatened to swallow me whole.

He groaned into my mouth, deep and rough, as if I were the only thing keeping him standing. The sound sent a thrill coursing through me—powerful and intoxicating. I pulled at his hair, eliciting another guttural noise from him that resonated deep in my chest.

In this moment, nothing else mattered. Not the chaos of our lives or the darkness lurking just beneath the surface of everything we had been through together.

He shifted his weight against me, pressing me back against the wall with an urgency that made my heart race. Water dripped from his lashes as he pulled away for just a moment to catch his breath. His eyes searched mine, fierce and hungry yet tinged with something deeper—a need that mirrored my own.

I could see the flicker of vulnerability behind that wild gaze, but it vanished almost as quickly as it appeared when he leaned back in again. Our lips crashed together once more, hungry and fierce.

My heart hammered in my chest as I pressed myself against him, feeling alive in a way I hadn’t felt in so long. He felt like home and danger all at once—a beautiful contradiction that made it impossible for me to pull away.

Damien pulled back just enough to speak, his breath warm against my lips.“Tell me you want this.”

He said this so many times. I thought it was his need of control, but maybe it was because he didn’t fully believe me when I told him.

I exhaled shakily. I should lie. Should tell him no. Should walk away from this mess that we had become. But the truth lay heavy on my tongue, begging to be freed.

“I want this.”

The moment those words left my mouth, Damien didn’t waste another second. He lifted me effortlessly, my legs wrapping around his waist as he pressed me against the nearest wall—the side of the rink, cold and wet. I gasped at the suddenness of it, but his mouth was back on mine before I could think. He stole every breath, consuming me in a way that felt both exhilarating and terrifying.

My heart raced as I clung to him, feeling the hard muscles of his body beneath the damp fabric of his shirt. It was dizzying, being so close to him again—so impossibly drawn into this whirlwind of desire.

He kissed me like he was trying to reclaim something lost, something that had been torn apart between us over time. My hands tangled in his wet hair as I deepened the kiss, matching his fervor with equal desperation. The world faded; it was just Damien and me—a chaotic storm of passion and unresolved emotions.

Every inch of my body thrummed with electricity as he held me against him, every soft gasp that escaped my lips fueling the fire between us. I had always known he was dangerous, but in this moment, danger felt like a thrilling rush rather than something to fear.

He pressed closer, pinning me against the wall even more firmly. I felt alive in ways I hadn’t experienced in what felt like forever.

But somewhere deep down, a small voice warned me that this might be another trap—that stepping back into Damien’s world meant diving headfirst into chaos once more.

His hands roamed down my thighs, gripping my hips and pulling me into him with a force that made my breath hitch. There was no hesitation, no second-guessing. We had crossed lines long ago, and now those lines felt like nothing more than remnants of a past we could no longer escape.

My fingers fumbled with his shirt, dragging it over his head. The damp fabric clung to his skin for just a moment before falling away, revealing the taut muscles beneath. I traced the scars along his chest, each one a story I’d never fully known but could feel echoing through him. He shuddered under my touch, a low groan escaping his lips that sent a thrill coursing through me.

“You drive me insane, little lamb,” he murmured, his voice hoarse and raw.

The words hung between us, electrifying the air. I wanted to tell him how much he drove me insane too—how the pull between us felt magnetic and dangerous—but all I could manage was to lean closer, feeling the heat radiating off him. My heart raced as our bodies pressed together; everything else faded into oblivion.

I smiled against his lips, the corners of my mouth curling up as I breathed him in. “You always were insane,” I teased, my voice a soft whisper lost in the chaos.

He groaned in response; the sound vibrating through his chest as he bit my lip lightly, a playful retaliation that sent sparks shooting through me. It was a reminder of the fire that burned between us, raw and untamed.

I pulled back just enough to meet his stormy blue eyes, which sparkled with mischief and something deeper—an intensity that made me forget everything else.

“Insane? Maybe,” he said, a smirk dancing on his lips. “And what does that make you?"

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