Chapter 2: DRIPPING BETWEEN SECRETS

The morning after was always the hardest.

The storm had passed, leaving nothing but the weight of the silence hanging in the air. Eli’s body was gone, but the traces of him were everywhere — in the sheets that still held his scent, in the lingering heat of his touch that I could feel on my skin like a brand.

I should’ve felt ashamed, but I didn’t. I should’ve felt guilty, but I didn’t.

Instead, I felt empty. Craving.

He had given me more than just his body last night. He had given me a taste of something dangerous — something addictive.

I stood in front of the bathroom mirror, my hand tracing the marks he’d left on my skin. Bruises, scratches, love bites. He hadn’t held back. Neither had I.

There was a knock on my door.

My heart skipped a beat.

I didn’t need to ask who it was. I knew it was him. I could feel him outside, his presence seeping through the walls.

I didn’t move immediately, didn’t rush to answer. Instead, I walked over to the window and peered outside. The city was alive with energy, the sun casting its golden rays over everything as if nothing had changed.

But something inside me had.

And that something was standing outside my door.

I took a deep breath, fighting the urge to pull away from what I wanted, from what I knew would pull me deeper into the web of lies and lust.

But the knock came again. This time, louder. More insistent.

I couldn't stop myself.

I opened the door.

Eli stood there, his eyes dark with desire, his body leaning against the doorframe as if he owned the space — as if he owned me.

“You’ve been avoiding me,” he said, his voice rough, still tinged with the remnants of our last night.

I said nothing, only stepped aside to let him in. My body trembled as he brushed past me, his scent already filling the room — a mix of rain, smoke, and something dangerous.

He closed the door behind him, locking it with a quiet click.

I turned to face him, my lips parted, unsure of what to say.

He didn’t give me the chance.

Before I knew what was happening, his lips were on mine again, hot and demanding. He kissed me as if he’d never stop, his hands cupping my face as if to make sure I was real — his reality. His lips moved against mine, his tongue teasing and tasting until I was dizzy, my body melting into his.

“I told you, you’d be mine,” he growled, pulling away just enough to whisper against my lips.

I whimpered, reaching for him, my hands sliding up to his chest. “You don’t get to claim me like this.”

He smirked, that wicked, arrogant smile that made me want to slap him and kiss him all at once. “You’re already mine, sweetheart. You’ve been mine from the moment you opened that door.”

His words sent a shiver down my spine, and I wasn’t sure if it was from fear or from the fire that spread through me at his arrogance.

But I was no fool.

I knew what we had was dangerous. Forbidden.

I had my secrets. He had his.

There were things neither of us was willing to admit. Not yet.

But the chemistry was undeniable. It burned like wildfire, and once it started, there was no stopping it.

“You think you can just waltz in here and control me?” I asked, trying to regain some semblance of control. My voice came out breathy, weak, even to my own ears.

Eli’s hand slid down to my waist, pulling me flush against him. I could feel his hardness pressing against my stomach, and it made everything inside me tighten with need.

“Control?” he asked, his voice dark and low. “No, baby. I don’t want to control you. I just want you. And I always get what I want.”

I sucked in a breath, my pulse quickening. “You’re dangerous, Eli.”

His smile turned sinister. “You don’t even know the half of it.”

He was right. I didn’t.

But that didn’t stop me from being drawn to him like a moth to the flame. I could see it in his eyes — the hunger. The obsession.

And I felt it too.

“Last night wasn’t a mistake,” he said, his breath hot against my ear. “It wasn’t just sex. It was something more. Something we can’t ignore.”

I stepped back from him, my mind a chaotic whirlwind of thoughts. “What are you talking about?”

He followed me, closing the gap between us in a flash. His hands gripped my hips, holding me in place as he leaned down to kiss me again, harder this time — fiercer.

The kiss was a collision of fire and want. His tongue tangled with mine, and I found myself pressed back against the wall, his body caging me in, his heat consuming me.

I gasped when he pulled away, his lips curling into a grin. “I don’t care about your secrets, sweetheart. I just want you. And if you keep pretending you don’t want me, I’ll make you admit it.”

“You don’t know anything about me,” I whispered, my voice shaking.

His hand slid down my body, coming to rest between my legs. His fingers brushed against the thin fabric of my panties, and I nearly buckled beneath the weight of his touch.

“Tell me you don’t want me,” he demanded. “Tell me, and I’ll walk away.”

But I couldn’t. The lie caught in my throat, strangling me.

“Tell me,” he repeated, his fingers pressing harder against me.

“I… I want you,” I admitted, breathless.

His lips curled into that dangerous smile again. “Good girl.”

With a swift motion, he ripped the fabric of my panties, his eyes never leaving mine. The cool air hit my exposed skin, and I gasped, my body trembling with need.

Eli didn’t wait. He sank to his knees before me, spreading my legs wide as he kissed and licked his way down my body. I moaned, the sound raw and desperate, as he worked me, his mouth teasing and tasting until I was shaking, breathless.

“I’ll make you crave me,” he murmured between kisses, his hands gripping my thighs, his tongue plunging deep into me.

I couldn’t stop myself. My body moved on its own, grinding against him, desperate for more. “Eli,” I gasped, my hands tangling in his hair.

He growled, his fingers pushing inside me, filling me in a way that made me forget my name, forget everything but him.

“You’re mine, remember?” he said. “Mine, and nothing else matters.”

The moment his fingers moved faster, deeper, I exploded — my body shuddering with pleasure, my vision blurring as I cried out his name.

When I came down, he stood up, wiping his mouth with a satisfied grin.

“You’re addicted,” he whispered, his hands gripping my hips once more, pulling me toward him. “And I’m the only one who can satisfy you.”