LINE CROSSED

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

The Line Crossed

LIAM'S POV

The sound of Derek’s footsteps gradually faded, leaving nothing but the heavy silence between Elena and me. My heart was still pounding in my chest from the tension, my mind racing with what had just happened.

But I didn’t stop. I couldn’t.

My lips found hers again, softer this time, slower. It wasn’t like the first kiss, full of desperation and fear. This one was filled with something else—something dangerous. I kissed her as if nothing else mattered, as if everything that had been building up between us had finally boiled over. My hand tightened around her waist, pulling her even closer, the heat between us intensifying with every second.

But then, suddenly, Elena shoved me back.

The force of it startled me, and I jerked away, stumbling a few steps. I stood there, blinking at her, my breath coming in shallow gasps. I hadn’t expected her to push me away so abruptly, and for a moment, I couldn’t think straight. The taste of her lips still