Lila was trying her best to focus on her job, but Damon's presence was like a constant weight pressing down on her chest. Every time she turned, his gaze was on her. There was something in his eyes — something that made her heart race and her pulse spike. But she couldn't dwell on that. She had a job to do.
And Damon? Well, he was playing the part of the perfect bachelor, flanked by potential matches and socializing with the high-society crowd. But Lila could see through it. She could see how tense he was, how his eyes would occasionally flick toward her in the crowd, as if he was trying to keep tabs on her. The thought sent a shiver through her spine.
The evening had started winding down, and Lila had just finished checking on the last of her candidates for Damon. As she moved toward the elevator to head up to her apartment — the last stop before a much-needed rest — she saw Damon standing there, talking to someone at the bar across the room. He was talking, but his attention was clearly elsewhere. She didn't think he even noticed when the last of the guests left.
She was just about to step into the elevator when she heard his voice, smooth and low, cutting through the clatter of the party.
"Lila."
She froze. Her name on his lips felt like a spark to dry tinder. She turned around slowly, her heart starting to race as she met his gaze. His expression was unreadable, but she could see the tension in his jaw, the way his eyes darkened the closer she got to him.
"You're leaving?" His voice was tinged with something. Was it disappointment? Jealousy? Something else? She couldn't tell, but she felt it all the same.
Lila took a breath, trying to stay composed. "I've been working all night. I think I've earned some time off."
Damon didn't respond right away. Instead, he stepped closer, just a little too close, his broad frame blocking the elevator doors. The air between them thickened, the heat rising as his presence seemed to consume all the space.
"Lila," he said again, and this time, his voice was deeper, almost husky. "I've been watching you tonight."
Lila's breath caught in her throat, the intensity of his words sending a jolt straight through her. She wanted to step back, to escape the tension that hung between them like a taut wire ready to snap, but she couldn't move. She was rooted in place, hypnotized by the raw magnetism Damon radiated.
"You've been spending a lot of time with Caleb," Damon said, his eyes narrowing just slightly. "Too much time."
Lila blinked, trying to process his words. Was he... jealous?
"You're not my keeper," she replied, voice steady despite the rush of nerves coursing through her veins. "I can talk to whoever I want."
"That's true," Damon murmured, his eyes never leaving hers. "But I can't help but notice how he looks at you. How they all look at you."
Her pulse quickened. Was he... possessive? A part of her wanted to turn around and walk away from this, but another part of her — the part she didn't want to acknowledge — wanted to see where this was going.
Damon took a step closer, his body now inches away from hers. His breath was warm on her skin as he leaned down, his voice a low whisper, just for her ears. "I don't want anyone else to look at you like that. I don't want anyone else to have you, Lila."
Lila's heart skipped a beat. She opened her mouth to respond, but her words caught in her throat.
Before she could speak, the elevator dinged. The doors opened.
A couple of other guests, oblivious to the tension between them, stepped in. Damon's eyes flickered toward them briefly, his jaw tightening. But he didn't step back. He didn't move.
Lila's heart was pounding in her chest. She tried to step into the elevator, but Damon was still blocking her way. For a moment, their eyes locked, and the air was thick with unspoken words.
And then, just like that, the other guests stepped off the elevator, leaving them alone.
Damon didn't wait for a second. He reached out, his hand brushing against the small of her back as he pulled her toward him. Lila's breath hitched as he stepped into the elevator with her, the doors closing behind them with a soft swoosh.
He leaned in so close she could feel the heat radiating off of him, his lips barely brushing her ear. "You're so damn tempting, Lila," he murmured, his voice like velvet. "I can't control it anymore."
Her heart was pounding in her ears. She didn't know how to react. She should push him away, should keep her distance. But the way he was looking at her — the way he was making her feel — everything inside of her screamed for her to stay.
Damon's hand slid to her cheek, gently cupping her face as he slowly brought his lips to hers. And when their lips met, it was like a spark set off a wildfire. His kiss was hungry, desperate, but there was also a tenderness to it — as if he was finally giving in to something he'd been fighting for far too long.
Lila's mind spun as her body responded before she could stop herself. Her hands found his chest, and she felt the heat of his body through the fabric of his suit. Every inch of her skin felt like it was on fire, every breath shaky, every moment intensifying as Damon's kiss deepened.
She didn't know what was happening, but she couldn't pull away. Not now. Not when everything inside of her told her she wanted this just as much as he did.
Damon's hands moved to her waist, pulling her flush against him, and for a brief second, Lila thought she might lose herself in the storm of emotion and desire that swirled between them.
But then, just as quickly as it began, Damon pulled away, his breath ragged, his lips tingling from the kiss.
"I can't stop thinking about you, Lila," he whispered, his forehead resting against hers, their breaths mingling.
Lila's mind was a haze. Her heart raced, her chest rising and falling with each breath. She wanted to say something, but the words wouldn't come. She could still feel his lips on hers, could still taste him.
The elevator reached the top floor, and the doors opened. Damon took a step back, straightening himself out, but the tension between them hadn't dissipated. If anything, it was stronger than ever.
"Goodnight, Lila," Damon said quietly, his voice a little rougher than usual.
Lila nodded, trying to steady herself, but her mind was spinning. She didn't know what had just happened, but she knew one thing for sure: things were never going to be the same.