CHAPTER THIRTY ONE (ELARA'S POV)

The drive was silent.

A thick, suffocating silence that felt more like a battleground than a moment of peace surrounded them.

Elara liked this.

She liked seeing him come undone.

She knew what she was doing.

And it was working.

Every muscle in his body screamed restraint, but the tension was thrumming too loud, too violent for him to hold it for long.

She turned her head slightly, taking in the sight of him. Sharp. Beautiful. Unraveling. He looked totally and utterly delicious.

When they pulled up in front of his mansion, Killian slammed the brakes too hard, making the tires screech against the pavement.

She almost laughed.

So easy to rile up.

He got out without a word, and before she could even reach for the door handle, he was there, yanking it open.

His presence filled the space, dark and commanding.

Then, in a voice low and cold, he said, "Get. Out."

She did not because he demanded it but because she wanted to see where this would go.

*****

The moment they stepped inside, the heavy door slammed shut behind them.

And before she could process anything Killian was on her, pressing her back against the door, his arms caging her in, his breath hot and uneven against her skin as he leaned close to her face.

His eyes burned into hers, wild, furious. "Does he know you cheated on him with me?" His voice was rough and hoarse and it held something that was way deeper than just anger.

Elara arched a brow, her lips curving into a slow, lazy smile. "I didn’t cheat." Her voice was smooth and unbothered to provoke him further.

She leaned in slightly, letting her breath fan over his jaw. "He knows what we’re doing. He knows what’s necessary to make everything seem authentic."

Killian’s body went rigid.

His hands clenched at his sides, as if he were holding himself back from something dangerous.

His voice dropped lower.

"What about the kiss?"

Elara shrugged, mockingly.  "For the plot."

His restraint cracked. A snarl ripped from his throat as he slammed his fist against the door, making it rattle from the force.

"Goddamn it, Elara!"

She smirked.

"Why are you overreacting?”

His nostrils flared. His chest rose and fell rapidly..

Then, he stepped away.

For a moment, she thought he was regaining control. But then he came right back, his body trapping hers, this time, when he spoke, his voice was low, dark, taunting.

"Does he kiss you like I do?"

Elara met his gaze, unbothered. "He’s better."

A muscle in Killian’s jaw jumped.

"Does he make your body react the way I do?"

Her smile deepened. "Oh, Killian. You wish."

The air crackled between them, thick with unspoken things.

His rage was a living thing, clawing to the surface, twisting into something far more dangerous.

But she wasn’t done.

She tilted her head, her voice dropping to a near whisper, her words slow and deliberate—

"He fucks me in ways you never could."

That was the final straw.

His restraint snapped.

A growl ripped from his chest as he grabbed her, hoisting her up in one swift motion. A gasp left her lips as she instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist, her hands gripping his shoulders.

His fingers dug into her thighs, his body pressing into hers, his breathing ragged.

His eyes…

They were blazing. Furious. Possessive.

"We'll see about that." His voice was low, dark, dripping with something forbidden.

She should have stopped him.

She should have pushed him away.

But the moment he crushed his mouth to hers, stealing the breath from her lungs, he didn’t.

She kissed him back.

And everything burned.

Their lips collided in a clash of anger and want, his mouth moving over hers with a desperate, punishing hunger.

Her back hit the door harder as he pressed into her, the heat between them burning bright and hot.

She let out a gasp, and he swallowed the sound, his hands gripping her tighter, pulling her closer.

Killian owned the kiss.

It was a battle.

A war of dominance neither of them wanted to lose. She bit his lip, he groaned into her mouth and she loved the primal sound.

He angled her head to deepen the kiss,  and force her to surrender to his dominance, to fall deeper into the madness between them.

Elara felt the fire consume her.

But she refused to let him win.

She slid her fingers into his hair, tugging hard and he growled against her lips.

Her nails dug into his shoulders, and he retaliated by pressing his hips harder against hers, making her gasp.

Then just as suddenly as it began Killian pulled himself away.

Breathing hard.

His chest rising and falling rapidly as he took deep breaths. His hands were still gripping her thighs, still holding her trapped against the door.

His eyes were wild, filled with unspoken things.

Regret. Lust. Possession.

Elara was just as breathless, her lips were bruised and swollen, her heart pounding in her chest.

For a moment, neither of them moved.

Then, Killian broke the silence.

"You’re lying." His voice was hoarse, still thick with anger and something dangerous close to lust.

Elara lifted a brow, pretending to be unaffected. "About what?"

His grip on her tightened, just for a second and then he let her go.

She slid back down to her feet, her legs feeling weak, her body still humming from his touch.

But she wouldn’t let him see it.

She wouldn’t let him know how much he had just shaken her. Killian took a step back.

Ran a hand through his disheveled hair.

Then he laughed.

The sound was low and dangerous.

"We’ll see how long you can keep up this game, Elara."

And just like that, the war between them had only just begun.