A warm feeling blooms in my chest. I glance at him, meeting his eyes. There’s no teasing in them now—just something steady, something real.

I swallow, suddenly feeling shy. “Yeah. It is.”

We walk in comfortable silence, the air crisp, the sky stretched wide above us. Valkyrie prances ahead, bottle cap forgotten, her tail wagging like she just won the lottery.

His hand brushes mine, a fleeting touch, but enough to send heat curling low in my stomach.

“So,” he says, glancing at me, “past relationships.”

I groan. “Oh, we’re doing this?”

He smirks. “We don’t have to.”

I sigh, rolling my shoulders. “No, it’s fine. I just—” I pause, choosing my words. “Let’s just say my last relationship wasn’t great.”

Humming in acknowledgment, he waits for me to continue.

“He wasn’t a bad guy,” I admit. “But he made me feel… unwanted. I was always the one initiating any type of intimacy. After a while, I started to feel like maybe I was asking for too much.”

Theo’s jaw tightens, his expression unreadable. “Too much?”

I huff out a dry laugh. “Yeah. Like… wanting my partner to want me. To show me they want me. To be adventurous, try new things, take control sometimes.” I glance at him. “I told myself that next time, I wouldn’t settle. I want a partner who makes me feel desired. One who doesn’t make me feel like I have to beg for attention.”

Theo is quiet for a long beat. When he finally speaks, his voice is lower, rougher. “And what did you think of our first time?”

A slow, knowing smile curls my lips. “It was okay I guess.”

His lips part slightly, waiting.

I tilt my head, watching him. “I mean, you got me there.” I lower my voice, letting it drip with teasing. “I actually had an orgasm, which has never happened with another man.”

Theo swears under his breath, his grip on Valkyrie’s leash tightening.

I smirk. “But—”

His head snaps to me, eyes wide. “But?”

I bite my lip, dragging the moment out, enjoying the way his gaze darkens, the way tension thickens in the space between us.

“But I know you can do much better.”

A muscle ticks in his jaw. His hand flexes. And just like that, I see it—the shift in him.

Something deep. Almost primal.

23

Selene

We’re at my front door now, and before I can react, Theo steps into my space, crowding me against the wood.

“Damn right I can,” he murmurs.

Then, in one swift motion, he grabs me, hoisting me over his shoulder like I weigh nothing.

I squeal, my hands smacking against his back. “Theo!”

He smacks my ass—hard enough to make me gasp.

Heat floods me, sharp and sudden, my stomach flipping as I squirm in his grip.

He doesn’t waver. Doesn’t hesitate.