Chapter 7 A taste of fire

Evening crept over the estate like a velvet curtain, casting long shadows through the ornate halls. Elena sat by the grand piano in the music room, absently trailing her fingers across the keys. The notes were soft, hesitant, like her thoughts-torn between restraint and release.

Her entire body still buzzed from the earlier moment with Gabriel. His nearness had left a mark on her, like heat on skin after a flame passes too close. She'd spent years locked in a loveless marriage, her desires buried beneath duty and deception. But now, something had been unearthed.

Not just attraction-hunger.

And it terrified her.

She rose from the piano and walked to the window, watching the distant lanterns that lit the east wing. Gabriel was still there, working long past what was necessary. That wasn't about the job. That was about her. She knew it. And she wasn't sure if she could resist him again.

Her heart thudded with anticipation as she made her decision.

Elena left the music room and made her way across the estate. Each step felt heavier with intent. She didn't even pretend to invent a reason this time. She wanted to see him. To face whatever this was-this pull between them.

When she stepped into the east corridor, she found him exactly where she expected. Gabriel stood alone beneath the arch of a hallway, sleeves rolled up, his shirt clinging to his frame from the heat and work of the day. His eyes lifted as she approached, and for a long moment, neither of them spoke.

"I couldn't sleep," she said, her voice low.

"Me neither," he replied. "Too much on my mind."

She came closer, until the space between them pulsed with electricity.

"I don't usually do this," she whispered.

"Neither do I," he murmured. "But I haven't stopped thinking about you."

His hand brushed her arm, tentative, waiting for permission. Elena didn't speak-she tilted her chin, just enough to bring her lips closer to his. The kiss was slow at first, exploratory, but quickly ignited into something deeper. His hands found her waist, her back, pulling her in.

She pressed against him, feeling the heat between them flare. The frustration, the longing, the silence-they melted away beneath touch. When Gabriel backed her gently against the paneled wall, his mouth trailing down her throat, Elena gasped softly. The world shrank to just the two of them. Every breath, every sigh, every heartbeat was fire.

But this wasn't just passion.

It was reclamation.

Gabriel paused, his forehead resting against hers. "Tell me if this is too much."

Elena looked into his eyes, unguarded for the first time in years. "No," she whispered. "It's not enough."

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End of Part 7

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