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Chapter

Emily sat in silence, her fingers tracing the rim of her coffee cup, as Julian’s words echoed in her mind. I’ll make you see that there’s no escaping me. The intensity in his voice, the way his gaze never wavered, made her heart race.

She had always known there was something different about Julian. There was an edge to him, a darkness that lurked just beneath the surface. It was in the way he looked at her, like he could see through her defenses, stripping her bare with nothing but his eyes. She could feel him pressing against her, even when they were apart. His presence lingered in her thoughts long after their conversations had ended.

But this… this was something else.

She thought she understood what attraction was, what desire meant. But Julian had introduced her to a new kind of longing. His touch, though light, felt like it had the power to shatter everything in its path. The way he leaned in, the way he spoke—there was an undeniable pull that she couldn’t resist.

And that terrified her.

“I don’t know what to say,” she whispered, looking up to meet his eyes.

Julian smiled, but there was something possessive in it, something that sent a chill down her spine. “You don’t have to say anything, Emily. I already know how you feel.”

He was right. She had felt the spark between them from the moment they’d met. At first, it had been innocent, almost playful. But now, there was no denying the intensity that simmered beneath the surface. It was as if they were standing on the edge of something dangerous, something neither of them could walk away from.

“I can’t do this,” she whispered, more to herself than to him. “I don’t know what this is, but it’s too much.”

His expression darkened, and for a split second, Emily felt the air in the room shift. The warmth of the café, the gentle hum of conversations around them, all seemed to fade into the background. It was just her and Julian, and his gaze was like a force she couldn’t escape.

“You think you can walk away from this?” His voice was calm, but there was an undercurrent of something fierce, something primal in it.

She swallowed hard, the weight of his words pressing against her chest. “I don’t know what I’m doing,” she admitted, her voice shaking. “I can’t keep playing with fire, Julian. It’ll burn us both.”

His fingers brushed against hers again, this time lingering a little longer. The touch sent a jolt through her, and she fought the urge to lean into him. Don’t give in. Don’t let him have this hold on you. But it was too late. He already had her, whether she was ready to admit it or not.

“You’re not playing with fire, Emily,” Julian said softly. “You’re already burning, whether you like it or not.” His thumb caressed the back of her hand, the simple act both comforting and terrifying at the same time. “And you’re not alone in this. I’ll be with you every step of the way.”

Her heart raced. The words were meant to reassure her, but all they did was make her feel more trapped. She had always prided herself on her independence, her ability to make her own choices. But Julian… Julian was a force she couldn’t control.

“I don’t want to hurt you,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. She didn’t even recognize herself anymore, the person she was becoming in his presence. Someone who couldn’t resist him, someone who was slowly losing herself in the storm he was creating around them.

Julian’s eyes softened, but there was still something dark in them, something that made her feel like she was standing on the edge of a cliff. She couldn’t see where it would end, and that uncertainty made her pulse race.

“You’re not going to hurt me, Emily,” he said, his voice low and soothing. “You’re the one who’s afraid of what this could mean. But I’ll be right here, holding you steady. I won’t let you fall.”

She wanted to pull away, to distance herself from the intensity of his words, but her body refused to cooperate. There was no escaping him. Not now. Not when he had already woven himself so deeply into the fabric of her life.

And, deep down, she wasn’t sure if she wanted to escape at all.

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