The water was warm, steam curling around me as I sank deeper into the tub. My hands rested on the edge, my thoughts as heavy as the morning sun pressing through the high windows.

  At first, I whispered to the tiles, I thought love at first sight was a stupid conspiracy, something people blinded by passion clung to. But when I first saw Matt in the forest… something shifted in me. Like a hunger that had been starving for a hundred years, like a lion seeing its prey. I tried to mask it with pride, tried to act harsh, to keep my desire at bay… but it was impossible. He’s the only person who’s ever managed to mess with my head for centuries.

  The water trembled slightly as I exhaled. And now… he’s here. Alive. And I won’t let anyone — anything — take him from me.

  I rose from the water, letting the steam trail behind me. Drying quickly, I felt the familiar tightness in my chest, that pulse of longing that always surged when I thought of him. I left the bath and found him standing alone in the courtyard, his figure catching the early light. Every line of his body, the tension in his stance, drew my eyes like a magnet.

  I crossed the space between us slowly, my steps measured. He noticed me, naturally, and our eyes locked. My chest constricted — part anticipation, part fear, all hunger.

  “Matt,” I said softly. My voice caught slightly. He didn’t reply, only met my gaze, steady and piercing.

  I reached out, brushing my hand against his arm, just enough to feel the warmth beneath his skin. He flinched, eyes widening, and my pulse jumped. Yes. That’s it. React to me.

  “You’re safe now,” I murmured, though the words were as much for myself as him. My fingers trailed lightly along his forearm, brushing over the tension that didn’t belong to him.

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  His breath hitched, and I noticed the slight tremor in his fingers. I stepped closer, deliberately slow, letting the charged space between us thrum with something unspoken. His gaze followed me, unwavering, almost daring me to take the next step.

  “I…” he started, voice low, but I didn’t let him finish. My hand cupped his cheek, tilting his head slightly, and the air between us snapped tight.

  I lowered myself slowly, lips meeting his in a kiss that was hesitant at first — testing, tasting. Then, like a floodgate opening, the world contracted, leaving only him, only us. I moved closer, tilting my head to deepen the kiss, letting my hands trace the line of his jaw, down to his shoulders, anchoring him to me.

  Matt responded after a moment, wrapping his arms around my neck, holding on like he’d been searching for this connection for centuries. His lips moved against mine, hesitant but growing, mirrored desire blooming with every heartbeat. I could feel him shiver, could hear his quiet breaths and the subtle catch in his throat, and it drove something primal through me.

  Time stretched. Minutes felt like hours. I shifted slightly, brushing my nose against his, tasting him fully, letting him feel every inch of my restraint melt away. My hands threaded through his hair, pulling him closer as he leaned into me without hesitation, letting his guard fall.

  The kiss grew slower, more deliberate, savoring the tension, the need, the relief. Each exhale, each tiny press of lips against lips, was a conversation we didn’t need words for.

  When we finally pulled back, our foreheads rested together, breaths mingling, hearts racing in sync. His eyes, wide and bright, searched mine, and I felt a soft warmth bloom inside me — a satisfaction, a promise, a hunger not yet sated.

  “I… I didn’t know…” he whispered, voice trembling.

  “You don’t need to say it,” I murmured. “I’ve known for a long time. And I feel the same.”

  He smiled faintly, shy and tentative, and leaned closer again, letting me rest my hand over his chest. I held him close, possessively, protectively, savoring the moment, knowing it was the first of many.

  The sun rose higher, catching in the strands of his hair, but I didn’t care. In that courtyard, in that infinite stretch of time, it was only us — only him, only me — and everything else could wait.