The ballroom had transformed into a haze of color and sound, the air thick with the hum of anticipation. The night had grown deeper, the glow of the chandeliers casting an almost ethereal glow on the polished floors. Guests had begun to relax, their masks slipping ever so slightly, their conversations growing bolder. The music had taken on a more sensual tone, a soft waltz that seemed to curl around each body, pulling them closer, urging them to move as one.
Evelynn felt the shift in the atmosphere almost immediately. It was subtle, at first—just a brush of heat along her spine as she stood at the edge of the room, watching the crowd. But then, the moment her eyes flicked back to the center of the ballroom, she saw him.
Lucas Blackwood.
He was like a shadow in the crowd—dark, intense, magnetic. And the way he was looking at her from across the room was enough to make her pulse quicken. She could feel his gaze on her, cutting through the noise, through the swirling sea of silk and laughter, until it pinned her down, keeping her in place.
Her heart skipped a beat, a familiar rush of heat curling low in her belly. She couldn't tear her eyes away. He was walking toward her now, moving with purpose, his gaze never leaving hers, his jaw clenched tight in that way she knew all too well. That way he always looked when he was ready to claim what was his.
And this time, it was her.
The air around them seemed to thicken, the distance between them shrinking with every step he took. Evelynn took an involuntary step backward, her breath catching in her throat as the weight of the moment settled over her like a storm cloud.
He stopped just a foot in front of her, the space between them electric with tension. Her body responded to him before her mind could catch up—her pulse fluttered, her chest tightened, and her hands seemed to tremble at her sides. She forced them to still, determined not to let him see her vulnerability.
"Evelynn," Lucas's voice came low, rough around the edges, a sound that made her skin prickle. His dark eyes searched hers, intense and unrelenting. "You're avoiding me."
"I'm not avoiding you," she lied, her voice steady, even though her heart was anything but. "I'm just… taking a break from the festivities."
"Is that what you're doing?" His lips curled into a half-smile, and for a moment, his expression was so devastatingly familiar that it nearly knocked the breath from her lungs. "Or are you just afraid?"
"Afraid?" Her brow furrowed. "Of you?"
The laugh that escaped his lips was dark, almost cruel, but it sent a shiver through her all the same. "You always were, Evelynn. You just never admitted it."
She tilted her chin up, forcing herself to stand taller, to meet him head-on. "I'm not afraid of you, Lucas. I'm just not interested in whatever game you think you're playing."
"You think this is a game?" His voice dropped lower, the challenge clear. "I'm not playing, Evelynn. You came here tonight expecting answers, and now you're avoiding them."
"I'm not avoiding anything." But the words felt hollow in her mouth. They weren't true. Not really.
Lucas took a step closer, his presence overwhelming, pulling her into a space she wasn't sure she wanted to be in. Her breath caught as the heat between them intensified. She could feel the way his gaze roamed over her, the way his body seemed to be drawn to hers like a magnet, as though there were no way to escape this pull.
"Then why don't you come with me?" he said softly, his voice an almost sensual invitation. "Let's get out of here. Away from all these people. Away from the masks. Let's just talk."
There it was again—the temptation, the promise of something more. She could almost taste it, like a forbidden fruit just out of reach. But she knew better than to fall for it.
"I don't think you understand, Lucas," she replied, her voice trembling ever so slightly. "There's nothing left to talk about."
The words stung as soon as they left her lips, because they weren't true. There was so much left to say, so many things still hidden beneath the surface. And as much as she tried to bury them, she could feel them clawing their way to the surface every time they stood this close.
"Don't lie to me," he muttered, his hand reaching out to gently but firmly catch her wrist. The touch was electric, sending a bolt of heat through her entire body. "You're not done with me, Evelynn. Not yet."
She inhaled sharply, trying to pull away, but his grip tightened ever so slightly, just enough to remind her of his control.
The moment seemed to stretch on forever—his fingers wrapped around her wrist, the warmth of his body just inches from hers. She could feel the heat radiating off him, the tension between them palpable, so thick she could practically taste it in the air. It was too much. She was too close to him. Too close to everything she'd been trying to ignore.
"You don't want this," she said, her voice a little breathless, even though she couldn't explain why. "You think you do, but you don't."
"I've never wanted anything more," he whispered, his lips just a breath away from her ear.
The way he said it sent a thrill racing down her spine. She tried to pull away again, but this time he didn't let her, his other hand coming up to cup her cheek, his thumb brushing over her skin in a soft caress.
Evelynn's heart pounded in her chest as she met his gaze, those dark eyes filled with something she couldn't name. It was almost like a challenge, a dare—a question that hung between them, waiting for her answer. She knew what he wanted. What he expected. And she knew what would happen if she let herself give in.
But this wasn't the time. Not like this.
Her pulse raced, but she didn't pull away. Instead, she held his gaze, forcing herself to breathe through the storm of emotions swirling inside her. "Don't do this, Lucas."
"Why not?" His voice was low, dangerous, filled with a hunger that made her ache. "Why not let go, just this once? You know you want to."
And in that moment, something shifted—something irrevocable. The world around them seemed to fade, the noise of the ballroom, the crowd, the music—everything drowned out by the thundering beat of her heart. It was just the two of them, locked in this unbearable tension, inches apart, both so close to crossing a line they couldn't uncross.
Before she could answer, before she could even think of what to say, his lips were on hers.
It was a kiss that wasn't meant to be. A kiss that shouldn't have happened. But it did. The heat of his mouth on hers, the hunger, the need—it overwhelmed her, and for a moment, Evelynn forgot everything. The years of anger, of hurt, of betrayal—all of it vanished in that kiss. There was only him. Only the way he made her feel, as if she were the only person in the world, as if nothing else mattered.
But then, as quickly as it had started, it was over.
Lucas pulled away, leaving her breathless, her heart hammering in her chest. He looked at her for a long moment, his eyes dark with something she couldn't quite understand. Something dangerous, something real.
"Don't forget this, Evelynn," he murmured, his voice hushed, rough. "This is just the beginning."