Frozen Desire

The morning air had a warmth to it, but Sera didn't feel it as she stood in front of her mirror. Her thoughts kept drifting back to the encounter from earlier. Cassian had come to her flatlet—surprising, and yet, not at all. His presence had taken her by storm, a whirlwind that swept through every part of her being.

She had barely gotten any sleep. After he left, the lingering warmth of his kiss and the intensity of his words kept her awake, racing through her mind. His confession—his need for her—it echoed in her head, but it was the way he looked at her, like she was the only thing that mattered in that moment, that haunted her the most.

Now, as she brushed her hair into place, the weight of everything was beginning to sink in. This... this thing between them—whatever it was—wasn't something she had prepared for. It wasn't just the physical pull, though it was undeniable. No, it was something deeper. Something dangerous.

Sera adjusted the sleeves of her blouse, glancing at the clock. She didn't have much time to dwell on it. The day ahead would be busy, and she needed to focus. With a final tug on the collar of her jacket, she grabbed her purse and headed out the door, determined to keep her composure.

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Cassian had gone straight to his office after leaving her flat. But the restlessness that had settled in him was impossible to ignore. He couldn't focus on anything—his work, his meetings, even the smallest tasks seemed to slip through his fingers. All he could think about was Sera. Her eyes, the softness of her skin, the way she responded to him… He cursed under his breath as he tried to push the thoughts away.

This was dangerous. He was walking a thin line, and he knew it. The last thing he needed was to let himself get caught up in someone who could ruin everything. But Sera wasn't just anyone. She was different—no, more than that. She was the kind of woman who made him feel things he hadn't in years. The kind of woman who made him lose control.

As the hours passed, his restlessness grew. By the time evening came, he knew he had to see her again. He had to know if what they shared that morning was something real—or just a fleeting moment.

He sent her a simple message: "I'll stop by after work. Don't try to run from this."

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Sera sat at her desk, staring at the screen, but her mind was far away. His words from the morning echoed again in her head. "Don't try to run from this."

A dangerous pull. That's what it was. She knew it, but it didn't stop the way her heart raced every time she thought of him. It didn't stop the heat that curled low in her stomach whenever she remembered the way his lips had claimed hers, or how easily she had given in to him.

Her phone buzzed with a message, and she froze. Slowly, her eyes drifted down to the screen. "I'll stop by after work. Don't try to run from this."

It was from him.

Her stomach tightened at the thought. She couldn't let herself get swept away by him again. It was too much, too fast. But the pull was undeniable, and deep down, she knew she wouldn't be able to ignore it for long.

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The workday was finally over, and Sera found herself standing in the entrance way of her flatlet, her hand hovering over the knob of the door she had just closed. The message from Cassian had left her feeling both electrified and terrified. She couldn't make sense of it—of him. Of what they were becoming.

The doorbell rang just as she was about to take a step back, and her heart skipped a beat. She stood there for some time, the door bell ringing again. She composed herself before opening the door, and there he was, standing in the doorway, looking every bit as magnetic as the first time she'd met him.

Cassian's eyes darkened when they met hers and he gave a devilish smile. "You didn't run." His voice was low, almost a growl, with an air of amusement and it sent a shiver down her spine.

"I... I'm not planning too," she replied, her voice almost too soft for him to hear. But he heard it, all right. And he stepped closer, his presence overwhelming.

"Good," he murmured, his hand reaching for her waist. Without another word, he pulled her into him, sealing the space between them as his lips crashed down onto hers.

The kiss was everything. It was desperate and heated, as if every unspoken word between them was now being poured into that one moment. Sera's hands found their way to his chest, fingers clutching at the fabric of his shirt, as if grounding herself in the storm that had come over her.

Cassian's grip tightened around her, pulling her impossibly closer. His lips were relentless, as if he couldn't get enough of her. The feeling of her body pressed against his set his mind ablaze, and he had to remind himself to breathe.

She gasped softly as his hands slid from her waist to the back of her neck, pulling her head back to deepen the kiss. Her breath hitched, and the surge of heat between them burned even brighter. Every part of her wanted to fall into him, to surrender completely to the pull he had on her.

But there was still that voice in the back of her mind, reminding her that this wasn't what she was supposed to be doing. She had made it clear that she wasn't the type to get swept away in the moment. She wasn't supposed to fall for someone like him.

But as his tongue slid past her lips, all those thoughts faded into the background. Her heart raced, her senses heightened. She was drowning in him, in the way he made her feel, in the raw, electric connection between them.

Cassian paused, his lips grazing her jaw, and she felt his breath hot against her skin. "Sera," he breathed, his voice thick with desire. "This... I've been waiting all day... to do this... This is what I want. You. All of you." His hands slid down her back, pulling her flush against him, and she could feel the heat of his body through their clothes.

Her pulse quickened at his words, and before she could stop herself, her hands moved to his shoulders, tugging him closer still. She wanted him—more than she was willing to admit.

But before either of them could go any further, there was a soft knock on the door. Both of them froze. Sera's eyes widened in panic, and Cassian stiffened, frustration flashing in his eyes.

"Shit," Sera muttered, pulling away reluctantly. Her heart was still pounding in her chest as she turned to the door, unsure if she wanted to answer it or lock it and forget the world existed for a while longer.

Cassian's hand brushed against her arm, steadying her. "Don't let anyone stop you from what you want," he whispered, his voice low, husky.

Sera closed her eyes, fighting the battle within herself. She didn't want to be distracted, didn't want to lose herself to him. But deep down, she knew she was already too far gone.

The knock came again, more insistent this time, and reluctantly, she turned to the door. With a deep breath, she opened it just a crack, her nerves tightening.

It was just the delivery man, dropping off a package she had ordered earlier in the week.

Cassian watched her carefully as she took the package from the man, the tension still palpable between them. When the door closed, it felt like the air had shifted. The heat between them hadn't dissipated—it had only intensified.

Sera turned to Cassian, her chest rising and falling with every breath. She bit her lip, trying to regain some semblance of control. "I'm sorry," she said quietly, her voice barely above a whisper. "I didn't expect... this."

Cassian stepped forward again, his eyes locking onto hers. His voice was calm, almost tender, but the desire in his gaze remained unshaken. "Neither did I." He reached up to gently cup her face in his hand, his thumb brushing over her cheek in a slow, soothing motion. "But it's happening, Sera. And I won't let you push it away. Not this time."

Sera swallowed hard, the words hanging between them like an invisible thread connecting their souls. She didn't know what to say. She wasn't sure how to make sense of the emotions swirling inside of her.

But one thing was certain: the pull between them was undeniable.

And for the first time in a long time, she didn't want to fight it.

As Cassian's fingers lingered on her cheek, his touch both tender and firm, Sera's breath hitched. She felt like she was standing at the edge of something she couldn't quite name, the air between them charged with an electricity that made her pulse race. Every instinct told her to back away, to put up the walls she had so carefully built over the years. But all she could focus on was him—how close he was, how his presence seemed to consume her.

Cassian leaned in slowly, his eyes never leaving hers. The world around them faded as he closed the distance, until she could feel the heat of his breath on her lips, the tension hanging like a thread between them. He spoke softly, his voice low and compelling. "I'm not going to let you push me away, Sera. You can try, but you can't. Not now."

Her heart pounded, each beat thundering in her ears as his words sank in. She had told herself this was temporary, that she couldn't afford to get tangled in something with him. But here he was, standing in front of her, not asking for permission but demanding to be part of her life in a way she wasn't prepared for.

"I don't want to," she whispered, the words barely escaping her lips before she could stop herself.

Cassian's lips curled into a half-smile, sensing the vulnerability in her tone. "Then don't," he murmured, before he closed the final gap between them, pressing his lips to hers once again. It was soft at first, a slow, lingering kiss that deepened as her resistance faded.

Sera's hands moved to his chest, feeling the rapid beat of his heart through the fabric of his shirt, and she couldn't help but sink into the kiss, letting him take control of the moment. The walls she had spent so long building crumbled around her, piece by piece, until there was nothing left but the heat of his touch and the warmth of his body pressed against hers.

She pulled away slightly, gasping for air, her mind spinning with a whirlwind of emotions. "Cassian, we—"

But before she could finish her sentence, he kissed her again, his hands sliding to her back, pulling her closer until she could feel the hard line of his body against hers. It was a kiss of possession, of need, and all Sera could do was lose herself in it. Every part of her body screamed for more, every inch of her skin tingled from his touch.

Cassian's lips moved to her jaw, then down to her neck, leaving a trail of fiery kisses in their wake. "I won't stop, Sera," he murmured, his breath hot against her skin. "Not until you understand how much I need this. How much I need you."

Her breath caught as his words sunk in. She felt like she was drowning in him, in everything he was making her feel. And the truth was, she didn't know if she was ready to swim back to shore.

"I don't know what this is," she breathed out, her voice shaking with the intensity of the moment.

Cassian paused, his lips hovering just above her skin, and he looked into her eyes, his expression full of something raw—something she couldn't fully comprehend. "Neither do I," he admitted, his voice rough with desire. "But I know I can't let you go."

Sera closed her eyes, feeling the weight of his words. She didn't know where this would lead, what it meant for them. But in that moment, with the storm still raging outside and the world standing still around them, she knew one thing for certain: she couldn't walk away from him.

Not now. Not ever.

And as he kissed her again, deeper this time, she let go of everything holding her back.