Rafe didn’t know how the night had brought him here, pressed against you in the quiet corner of his dimly lit bedroom, the party downstairs fading into nothing. The muffled bass of the music was a dull thrum beneath the rapid pounding of his heart.

His hands cradled your face, thumbs brushing against your skin like he was afraid you’d slip away. His breathing was uneven, chest rising and falling as he looked at you with an intensity that made your stomach flip.

“You get me so high,” he murmured, his voice low, almost reverent. His blue eyes flickered between yours, his grip tightening slightly, as if to anchor himself. “You get me so high. I know you ain’t a drug, but… you might as well be. No one else does this to me.”

He shook his head, a bitter laugh escaping his lips. “Speedin’ up my heartbeat, bangin’ in my chest,” he said, his voice cracking with an edge of desperation. “You put it on me, and suddenly… it’s like everything else disappears. You relieve my stress, and I’m not even sure if I hate it or need it.”

Rafe exhaled shakily, his forehead pressing against yours. “You got me so high,” he whispered, closing his eyes. “Takin’ deep, deep breaths, and it’s still not enough. You’re in my veins, and it’s… it’s maddening.”

The vulnerability in his voice wasn’t something he let show often, but tonight, he couldn’t hold it back. He opened his eyes again, scanning your face like he was memorizing every detail. “You’re all I want, all I need. But you’re dangerous, you know that? You’ve got me so hooked I don’t know how to stop.”

He tilted his head, his lips brushing against your temple as his hands trailed down to your waist. “Tell me I’m not the only one,” he pleaded, his voice barely above a whisper. “Tell me you feel it, too.”

For a moment, the world outside didn’t exist. It was just you and Rafe, tangled in a connection that was as intoxicating as it was impossible to resist.