30.

The party was loud, full of excitement and energy, but none of it mattered to me. Not when I saw her.

Zephyr was standing by the corner, her eyes darting around, her posture stiff as she tried to blend into the background. The second our gazes met, everything else seemed to fade into the background, the crowd no longer there. It was just her and me, and something about the way she looked at me, with those wide eyes, made the air around us feel heavy, thick with tension.

She quickly averted her gaze, like she was embarrassed or unsure. That vulnerability hit me like a punch to the gut, and I couldn’t stop myself from moving toward her. I felt this pull—an irresistible force that dragged me closer, until we were standing face-to-face, just a few inches apart.

She looked up at me, and I swear, the way her lips parted as she breathed my name sent a spark of heat straight to my chest. She was nervous, but I could feel that she was waiting for something, like she was just waiting for me to make the first move.

I didn’t hesitate.

I reached for her, one hand sliding around her waist and pulling her against me. Her body was soft, and it made my pulse spike in ways I couldn't control. I could feel her breath catch as our bodies aligned, and my hand tightened instinctively around her. Her skin felt too good beneath my touch, and the proximity only made the heat between us intensify.

“Zephyr,” I whispered, the word leaving my lips in a low rasp. Her name felt different now, charged with something deeper than anything I’d ever felt before. My eyes lowered to her neck, and before I knew what I was doing, I was leaning in, my lips brushing against the hollow of her throat. She sucked in a sharp breath, and I felt her body tense for a split second before she relaxed into me.

God, I couldn’t stop myself. Every inch of her felt like it was pulling me in further, and I wanted nothing more than to lose myself in the moment.

My hands roamed slightly, settling at her waist, pulling her even closer, if that was even possible. The tension between us was thick, suffocating, and I knew she felt it too. Her breathing was quick and shallow, and I couldn’t tell if it was from nervousness or something else. But I didn’t care. All I could focus on was her—her skin, her scent, the way her body responded to mine.

“Stop... Ace,” she whispered, but there was no real force behind her words. It was more of a plea, a request, and yet, I could tell she wasn’t entirely rejecting me.

“You don’t want me to stop, do you?” I muttered against her skin, my voice husky, filled with raw desire. It was a question, but I already knew the answer. The way she trembled in my arms said enough.

But she didn’t respond, and instead, she stiffened, her eyes meeting mine again. There was something in them—something that pulled at me deeper than I cared to admit. “You’re making this harder,” she whispered, her voice thick with emotion, but her eyes were searching my face for something, as if trying to figure out what was happening between us.

I pulled back slightly, not enough to break the connection completely, but enough to look her in the eye. “What’s so hard about this?” I asked, my voice barely a whisper, but the challenge in it was clear.

She didn’t answer. Instead, her breath hitched as I tightened my hold around her waist, and she let out a soft sigh.

“You’re not like this,” she finally said, her eyes searching mine. “Not until you’re around me.”

That hit me harder than I expected. She was right. I had never felt this way before, not with anyone. Not like this.

“I don’t know what’s happening either,” I said, my voice quieter now, almost unsure. For the first time, I wasn’t in control. “But I’m not letting go, Zephyr. Not this time.”

Her eyes softened slightly, but there was still a trace of hesitation there. She tried to step back, just an inch, but I wasn’t letting her go. Not yet.

“I don’t know what you want, Ace,” she whispered, her eyes flicking down to my lips and then back to my eyes. She was conflicted, torn between something she couldn’t understand. It made my chest tighten, the vulnerability in her words and eyes making me want to hold her tighter, make her feel safe.

“You don’t have to know right now,” I said, my thumb brushing along the side of her cheek. “Just... don’t pull away.”

She stayed there, in my arms, the air thick between us, neither of us saying anything else. It was like time had stopped. But I knew—this was only the beginning. Neither of us were ready to admit it yet, but this, whatever this was between us, had changed everything.

She just looked at me then, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips, but there was still uncertainty in her eyes. I didn’t care. I wasn’t letting go. Not now. Not ever.

“Tell me you feel it too,” I said, my voice soft but insistent.

Her smile faltered just for a moment, but then she nodded, almost imperceptibly.

“I feel it,” she whispered.

And that was all I needed to hear.

The air between us was electric, charged with something neither of us had the words for, but we both knew it was there. Every glance, every touch seemed to heighten it, pulling us closer.

I stole another glance at Zephyr, her profile illuminated by the party light, and my heart slammed against my ribs. She was so close—so close I could almost feel her breathing, hear the racing of her pulse beneath her skin. The way she looked at me, the way she seemed to crave what was happening between us even as she tried to resist.

“Zephyr,” I murmured, my voice barely a whisper as I tried to steady my nerves. “Are you sure about this?”

She didn’t answer immediately. Instead, her fingers tightened ony arms, her knuckles white, her breath coming in shallow bursts. When she finally turned her gaze to me, the fire in her eyes made it hard to breathe. “I’m sure,” she said, and there was something raw in her voice, something that told me she wasn’t just sure about tonight, but about what we were about to do.

My hand, almost on its own accord, reached out to touch her jaw, brushing a strand of hair away from her face. Her skin was warm, soft—too soft, and it pulled me in deeper. I could feel the heat between us, the way the air was thick, heavy with anticipation.

“You don’t know how much I’ve wanted this,” I confessed, my voice hoarse as I closed the distance between us. My thumb traced the curve of her lips, just as my heart pounded in my chest. “How much I’ve wanted you.”

She exhaled slowly, her lips parting just a fraction, her eyes closing for a moment as if savoring the sensation. When she opened them again, there was a vulnerability in her gaze—something I hadn’t seen before, something that made my chest tighten.

“I’ve wanted you too,” she whispered, and it hit me like a tidal wave. The truth between us hung in the air like a promise, and it was all I needed to hear.

Without thinking, I leaned in, closing the space between us in a heartbeat. My lips met hers, gently at first, testing, searching. She was hesitant for just a split second, but then she kissed me back, her hands coming up to grip my shirt as if she needed something to hold onto.

The world around us seemed to disappear. All that mattered in that moment was her, the way her lips moved against mine, the way she responded to me with a hunger that matched my own. The kiss deepened, my hands finding their way to her waist, pulling her closer, feeling the heat of her body against mine.

I could feel her heart racing, could feel the way her body responded to the intensity of the kiss. It was a pull, a magnetic force I couldn’t resist. The tension that had been building between us for so long finally snapped, and it was as if everything we’d kept hidden for so long was now spilling over.

Her hands slid to my neck, her touch sending sparks through me. I didn’t want to pull away, didn’t want this moment to end. But I knew we weren’t there yet. We had so much more to explore. So much more to say without words.

I pulled back just enough to look at her, our breaths mingling, our foreheads pressed together. Her eyes were glazed over, her lips swollen from the kiss, and it took everything I had not to pull her right back to me.

“Zephyr…” My voice was rough, the words thick in my throat. “This… this is just the beginning.”

She didn’t say anything, but the look in her eyes told me everything. She was ready. Ready for whatever this was between us. Ready for more.

And I wasn’t about to hold back now.