Derek's eyes locked onto Autumn as her cheeks flushed a deep red, a color that spread down her neck, making his pulse quicken. He couldn't fully grasp why he had said such words to her.

The memory of that night together, a night he repeatedly told himself was a mistake, still lingered in the corners of his mind. But if he was honest with himself, there was something deeper, a greed that gnawed at him, a longing he couldn't fully deny.

Autumn's eyes fluttered shut, and her lips, slightly parted, seemed more tempting than ever, drawing him in, messing with his thoughts. Derek's breath hitched as he realized how close...