The morning after the storm, everything felt different. The world felt different.
Ana stood at the window of her bedroom, looking out over the city below. The sky was still gray, a dull reflection of her mood. Her fingers absently traced the edge of the glass, her mind replaying the events of the previous night, over and over again, like a broken record. Hayden's touch. His kiss. His words.
She had tried to convince herself that it was a momentary lapse, a mistake, but deep down she knew it wasn't. She hadn't just kissed him. She hadn't just let him take control. She had *wanted* it.
And that terrified her.
The emotional battle inside her was a constant war. One part of her screamed for her to walk away, to find a way to reclaim control over her life, over her own choices. The other part, the darker part, whispered that she was already lost. That she belonged to him now, whether she liked it or not.
A knock on the door broke her thoughts.
"Ana?"
It was Hayden. She didn't need to turn around to know his presence. He was like a storm, an inescapable force that had already swept through her life. She didn't answer immediately, her hands tightening around the edge of the window, nails biting into the cold surface.
The door opened without waiting for an invitation. Hayden stood there, tall, commanding, his dark eyes scanning the room before landing on her. His gaze lingered on her, almost as if he was savoring the moment, savoring the tension between them.
"You didn't leave," Ana said, her voice a little sharper than she intended. "I thought you would've by now."
A slow smile spread across his lips, but it wasn't comforting. It was predatory, the smile of a man who knew he had her exactly where he wanted her.
"I don't leave, Ana," he said softly, his voice low and thick with intent. "I stay until I get what I want."
Ana stiffened, but the words didn't shock her. They should have, but they didn't. She had known what kind of man Hayden was from the beginning, hadn't she? Cold. Calculating. Ruthless. And yet, every time she told herself to push him away, she found herself pulled back in.
"Why?" she asked, the word slipping from her lips before she could stop it.
Hayden didn't answer right away. Instead, he stepped closer to her, his presence overwhelming. She could feel the heat radiating from his body, the raw power that seemed to pulse in the air whenever he was near. His fingers brushed the back of her neck, sending a shiver down her spine.
"You don't get to ask why, Ana," he said, his voice almost a whisper. "You just get to accept it."
Her pulse quickened as he took another step toward her, backing her into the window. His body was close now, close enough that she could feel the heat of him, feel the controlled intensity that seemed to roll off him in waves.
Ana swallowed hard, her chest tightening. She knew what he was doing. She knew what he was trying to force her into. But she couldn't stop herself from wanting him, from feeling that magnetic pull that had only grown stronger since their first kiss.
"Hayden—" she began, but he cut her off by placing his finger over her lips.
"Don't say my name like that," he warned, his voice dark, a hint of something darker beneath the surface.
Ana's heart fluttered in her chest. She hated how he could make her feel like this. She hated how he could unravel her so easily.
"I don't care what you want anymore," Hayden continued, his hand sliding down her arm, his touch deliberate and slow. "I only care about what I'm going to make you feel."
He moved so close that she could feel the faint brush of his lips against her ear, the proximity enough to send a wave of heat coursing through her veins.
Ana's breath hitched. She tried to step back, but the window at her back left her nowhere to go.
"I don't want this," she whispered, the words coming out weak, uncertain. It wasn't the truth—she did want it—but saying it out loud made her feel like she was betraying herself.
His lips curled into a smirk, but his eyes were cold, calculating. "You don't have to want it. It's already happening."
With a sudden motion, he gripped her wrist and pulled her toward him. She stumbled, her body falling against his, her heart racing in her chest.
"You're mine now," Hayden said, his words a promise, a command. "And I'm going to make sure you remember it."
The words sent a ripple of something dangerous through her, something she couldn't name, something that both terrified and excited her in equal measure.
Before she could react, Hayden's lips were on hers, demanding, possessive. He kissed her with a ferocity that stole her breath, his tongue sliding past her lips as if he owned every inch of her. She tried to fight back, to push him away, but it was useless. His strength was overwhelming, and for a moment, all she could do was respond to the fire he ignited inside her.
His hands roamed down her body, tracing the curves of her hips, making her body react before her mind could catch up. She wanted to pull away, to remind herself that this was wrong, but there was no denying the desire that burned between them, the raw need that neither of them could control.
When he finally pulled away, leaving her breathless and trembling, he looked at her with dark satisfaction.
"Tell me you want this, Ana," he demanded, his voice a low growl. "Tell me you want me."
Ana's pulse raced, her heart pounding in her chest. She wanted to deny it, to say that she didn't, but the truth was she couldn't lie to herself anymore. The hunger between them was undeniable, and despite everything, despite the rage and betrayal that simmered just below the surface, she wanted him.
"I want you," she whispered, the words slipping out before she could stop them.
Hayden smiled, his grip tightening around her wrist as he pulled her closer again, his lips brushing against her neck. "Good," he murmured. "Because now, I'm not letting you go."