NATE'S POV
The silence after the kiss was more devastating than any physical blow. My lungs burned, my head spun, and my body felt like a live wire still vibrating from the sheer, aggressive force of his mouth. Adrian's thumb was stroking the frantic beat of my pulse at the base of my neck, and the casual intimacy of the gesture, the complete lack of remorse, made me want to rage and submit all at once.
My lips throbbed, a hot, shameful reminder of the power he possessed. The air felt thick, heavy with the scent of his skin and the smoke of our conflict. I stared up at him, unable to move, unable to breathe, trying desperately to recall the reason I was here: the investigation, the badge, the oath. All of it felt distant, irrelevant.
"Answer me, Nate," Adrian purred, his voice dropping low, his gaze raking over my face, demanding a response to his dominance. "How much more are you willing to give to get what you want?"
