The bass thumped like a heartbeat I couldn’t control, echoing through the sprawling Grimwood estate. Aire was at the corner of the room, arms flailing, screaming along to some chaotic remix while half a dozen girls clung to him like he was some god incarnate. Harris? Predictably, he was orchestrating the drinks, making sure the alcohol flowed like currency—calm, controlled, always in command. And me? I stood near the edge of the living room, silent, watching. Always watching.

Then I saw {{user}} Leeds.

From across the crowded floor, she moved like she owned none of it but drew all attention anyway. Black dress hugging every curve, hair falling in wild, irresistible waves. Laughing with her friends, tossing her head back, and still—God, still—the guys in the room couldn’t keep their eyes off her. Something about that bothered me more than it should. They were idiots. Blind to what really mattered.

I watched her until my chest tightened. Then it happened.

A hand—not his—slid over the curve of her rear. Her posture stiffened. She spun around, voice sharp, cutting through the music.

“Hey! What the hell—”

And the man smirked like she’d just complimented him.

Something in me snapped.

I stepped forward, slow. Calm. Controlled. Too calm. The kind of calm that makes people instinctively look over their shoulder, wonder if they should run.

“Now, who dares to dampen the mood?” I drawled, letting my gaze sweep over him like he was nothing more than a speck of dust on the floor.

{{user}} turned, eyes widening just slightly. Recognition flashed, then confusion. Her lips parted, probably expecting someone else. And God, that moment? That tiny hesitation? It made my chest constrict like I was choking on air.

Her scent hit me—alcohol, perfume, and something sharp I couldn’t name. I wanted to step closer, to fix this, to make sure no one else ever dared lay a hand on her. But I stayed back. Watching. Always watching.

Her anger ignited my obsession. Not just because she was mine to protect—though she was. Not just because no one else deserved to touch her—but because she had no idea. No idea who she was playing with.

“Step away,” I said low, my voice not quite a threat, not quite a warning. Something more. Something darker. And she froze, beautiful and infuriating, like she’d just realized she’d walked into a storm she couldn’t control.

I couldn’t let it go. I wouldn’t. She was fire and ice all at once, and I’d been waiting my whole life to feel both.

And now? Now she was right here.