Neither of us move. The room goes quiet, the air tightening between us as if waiting for one of us to break it.
Her body angles toward me more, instead of away. I follow without thinking, closing the small space between us. My arm comes up along the back of the sofa behind her, not touching but close enough that if she leans back, she’ll feel it.
She notices. I see how her breathing changes and how her eyes dip to my mouth before lifting again.
“Maggie,” I say.
“Yes?” she answers, her voice low, but there’s heat in it now.
I don’t answer right away. I watch her, noting that she doesn’t pull back and stays exactly where she is, even knowing where this is going.
That’s enough.
My hand comes up slowly, brushing along her jaw, my thumb settling just under her chin as I guide her face toward mine. Her lips part just enough, and she doesn’t stop me.
I close the distance.
The moment our lips meet, everything else drops away. The kiss isn’t rushed. I take my time with it, testing the line before I cross it.
She answers it.
There’s softness there at first, just long enough to feel it, before it deepens, her hand coming up to my chest, gripping my shirt like she needs something to hold onto.
That’s all it takes. Whatever restraint I had left gives way under the feel of her leaning into me. I pull her closer, my hand sliding from her jaw to the back of her neck, holding her there as I kiss her again, deeper now, taking more than I did the first time.
She follows, not pulling back. Her hand moves from my chest to my shoulder, her fingers pressing in, pulling me closer like she’s done thinking about it.
The heat between us builds fast, burning hotter with every second. I drag my mouth from hers just long enough to look at her. Her lips are parted, her pupils wide.
“Maggie,” I say, my voice rough.
She swallows, her eyes dropping to my mouth before meeting my eyes again. “You gonna stop?” she asks, and there’s the faintest hint of a smile there, like she already knows the answer.
“No.”
I kiss her again before she can say anything else. This time there’s no space left between us, just heat and pressure and the way her body turns fully into mine, her knee pressing closer, and her hand sliding around my neck like she’s trying to keep me right where I am.
I pull her closer, my hand firm at her waist as I stand, bringing her up with me in one smooth motion. She lets out a small gasp, her hand tightening at the back of my neck as she comes with me.
“Alexei—” she starts, her voice low.
“This is a mistake,” I tell her, even as I pull against me.
She looks up at me, her eyes holding mine, not backing down. “Then why don’t you look like you wanna stop?”
I don’t answer. I take her hand and lead her down the hall.
She follows, her steps matching mine, her hand still in mine, holding on. The distance to my bedroom is shorter than it should be. At the door, I stop just long enough to look at her again, giving her the choice.
She holds my eyes and doesn’t pull away.
I open the door and pull her inside. I push her against the wall and kiss her hard, my hand sliding behind her neck while the other braces at her waist, holding her there against me. I part her lips with my tongue, taking my time with her mouth, and the breathless sound she makes goes straight through my chest. Her hands slip from my neck to my shoulders, gripping tightly as her body presses into mine, warm and willing in a way that strips the last clean thought from my head. I want more of her than I should. More than I need.
I expect her to pull back. To put space between us and tell me this has gone far enough.
She doesn’t.
Her fingers slide into my hair instead, holding me closer as she kisses me back with a fire that strips the restraint right out of me. The kiss turns deeper, rougher, both of us chasing more from the other, and when I press her harder against the wall, her breath breaks against my mouth.
