CHAPTER 22 — AURI'S APARTMENT (TENSION & FLIRT)
The apartment was silent. The clock blinked 11:37 PM, and I was just about to drift off into a rare, deep sleep.
Then… a knock at the door.
Slow. Firm. Deliberate.
I froze, heart skipping a beat. Who could it be at this hour?
Curiosity won. I swung the door open slowly, and froze again.
Dante stood there.
His presence alone made the air around me feel heavier, hotter. His eyes darkened as he took me in, the faint smirk tugging at his lips.
"How… how did you find me?" I asked, panic and exasperation lacing my words.
He shrugged effortlessly, calm as always. "I have my ways."
I stepped back instinctively, my mind racing. "What are you doing here?"
He stepped in, calm but deliberate, filling the doorway. "I needed to talk to you. And I'm not leaving until we do."
I shook my head, anger bubbling. "You can't just show up at my house! You have no right!"
His gaze flicked to me, unwavering, and a shiver ran down my spine. "I have every right. Because you need to hear me."
I crossed my arms, trying to keep my composure, though my pulse raced. "I don't know why I should listen to anything you have to say right now!"
He tilted his head, his voice low and teasing. "Because it's me, Auri. You know you can't ignore me."
My eyes narrowed. "I can, actually. And I will."
He stepped closer, unrelenting. "Not tonight."
I stumbled back slightly, realizing just how close he was. My anger rose, mixing with a heat I didn't want to admit.
"You're… impossible!" I snapped.
He smirked. "And yet, you keep talking to me."
For a long moment, we just stared at each other. My pulse raced. His presence was overwhelming. My chest tightened.
Finally, I looked away, exhaling sharply. "I can't deal with this tonight. Please… just leave."
But he didn't.
Instead, Dante's intense stare pinned me in place. There was something in his eyes—possessive, dangerous, longing—that made me forget my anger.
I clenched my fists. "Dante… you're insane."
"And yet, here I am," he said, stepping closer. "Talking to you."
I swallowed, my mind a whirlwind of confusion. Part of me was furious, part of me… unsettled, because no one had ever made me feel like this.
"You can't just keep barging into my life," I whispered, my voice softening despite myself.
"I already have," he replied, a small, teasing smile curling his lips. "And I'm not leaving until we figure this out. You, me… whatever this is."
I shook my head, exasperated and flustered. "I don't know what you want from me, Dante!"
"Simple," he said, leaning slightly closer, his gaze intense. "I want you. And I'm done pretending I don't."
My breath hitched. I glared at him, trying to push the fluttering away. "I'm not… easy to get, you know that."
He grinned, low and confident. "I like a challenge."
The apartment was silent except for our shallow breaths.
Dante's presence filled the room completely, every inch of space charged with an energy I couldn't ignore. My heart hammered in my chest as he stepped closer, his gaze dark, intense, searching.
"Auri…" His voice was low, almost a whisper, pulling me in like gravity itself.
Before I could respond, he leaned closer. I felt the brush of his lips against mine—soft, deliberate, careful at first. My body froze.
"Dante…" I whispered, my hands raising instinctively. "You shouldn't—"
But he didn't stop. His hands hovered near mine, steadying me without force. Slowly, he pressed his lips to mine again, lingering just long enough to make the world outside disappear.
I resisted, pulling back slightly. "I can't… you can't—"
His eyes searched mine, pleading, commanding, but never cruel. "I don't care, Auri. Not tonight. I just… need you to feel this."
My chest tightened, a war raging inside me—anger, frustration, and something else I didn't want to admit. Desire.
And yet, as his lips brushed mine again, softer this time, a shiver ran down my spine. My body betrayed my mind, instinctively leaning closer even as my heart screamed to pull away.
"You're impossible," I whispered, trying to step back.
"And yet… you can't stop me," he murmured, lips barely brushing mine again, teasing, coaxing, burning.
Slowly, almost imperceptibly, my resistance weakened. The heat of his closeness, the softness of his kisses, the intensity in his eyes—it all pressed into me, and for the first time in months, I didn't want to push him away.
Not entirely.
I closed my eyes, letting the warmth of him seep into me, trying to deny the fluttering in my chest, trying to deny that part of me that craved this—him.
Dante's hands moved gently, brushing strands of hair from my face, tilting my chin so that our lips met again. This time, I didn't resist as strongly. My body responded before my mind could catch up, leaning into the kiss despite my frantic heart telling me to run.
The world shrank to that tiny space between our lips, to the heat of our breaths mingling, to the unspoken words in our gaze.
"Dante…" I whispered, breathless. "I… you can't—"
"I don't want to," he interrupted softly, his lips brushing mine again. "Not tonight."
The room seemed to vanish around us. The city lights, the clock ticking, even my own voice—all of it disappeared, leaving only Dante and me. My fingers trembled as I rested them against his chest, feeling the strength and warmth of him.
For a moment, we just stood there, lips barely brushing, breathing the same air, the closeness almost unbearable. I could feel his heartbeat, quickening against mine, and the intensity of it made my chest tighten.
My hands trembled as I rested them lightly on his shoulders. The warmth of his body, the softness of his hands, the slow, deliberate closeness—it was overwhelming. Every instinct told me to resist, and yet my heart ached to give in, even just a little.
We stayed like that for what felt like an eternity—pressed together, breath mingling, hearts racing. No words were necessary. Every glance, every touch, every brush of lips said more than any conversation ever could.
Finally, I leaned back slightly, cheeks flushed, breath uneven. "Dante… we can't… not like this," I whispered, trying to reclaim some control.
He smiled faintly, almost painfully, eyes full of longing. "We don't have to do anything," he said softly. "Just… stay with me. Tonight, let me be close to you. Let me prove that I'm here."
I nodded slowly, my hands still resting against his chest. I didn't say anything, because words would ruin the fragile moment.
Instead, I let him guide me to the edge of the bed. Not for what people might think, but for closeness, warmth, and comfort. He sat beside me, careful to give me space, yet close enough that I could feel his presence everywhere.
He reached out, brushing his fingers along my arm. "You feel everything, don't you?" he whispered.
I shivered. "I… I can't stop feeling," I admitted.
He chuckled softly, brushing a thumb across my knuckles. "Good. I don't want you to."
For the rest of the night, we stayed there—side by side, close enough to feel each other's breaths and heartbeats, letting the romantic tension simmer, knowing the world outside couldn't touch us. And for the first time in weeks, I felt… safe, desired, and inexplicably, completely his.