LOST IN THE FIRE

The weight of morning pressed down on Sienna before she even opened her eyes. She wasn’t in her own bed, that much was obvious. The mattress was too firm, the sheets too soft, and the warmth enveloping her was entirely unfamiliar except it wasn’t.

A slow, sinking realization curled through her as she became aware of the arm draped over her waist, the steady rise and fall of a chest behind her, the scent of cedarwood and something unmistakably masculine surrounding her like a cocoon.

Damien.

Her breath caught in her throat. Last night wasn’t a dream.

A slow pulse of heat unfurled in her stomach, memories flashing in rapid succession his lips claiming hers with a hunger that stole her breath, the way he whispered her name like it was the only thing that mattered, the way his touch had ignited something deep inside her, something she had no control over.

She squeezed her eyes shut, willing herself to block it out, to push it into a locked corner of her mind where it couldn’t consume her. But it was too late.

She had crossed a line.

Carefully, she shifted, trying to slide out from beneath his arm without waking him, but the second she moved, Damien stirred. His arm tightened, his grip possessive even in sleep.

Sienna froze.

For a long moment, she thought he might stay asleep, but then his deep voice, husky with sleep, rumbled against her skin.

"Where do you think you're going?"

His words sent a tremor through her.

"I need to go," she whispered.

Damien didn't move, but she felt the shift in his breathing, the way his fingers flexed against her skin. "Why?"

Sienna swallowed hard, forcing herself to keep her voice steady. "Because last night... shouldn't have happened."

A long silence stretched between them. Then Damien let out a low, dark chuckle, his breath warm against her shoulder. "You expect me to believe that?"

She shut her eyes. "It was a mistake."

The moment the words left her mouth, she regretted them.

Damien finally moved, his arm lifting just enough for her to sit up, but he didn’t let her go far. His piercing gaze locked onto hers, unreadable, assessing.

"A mistake?" His voice was dangerously quiet.

Sienna forced herself to nod. "Yes."

His jaw tightened, a muscle ticking at the side. "Funny. You didn’t seem to think that last night."

Heat rushed to her face, but she refused to back down. "It doesn't matter what I thought last night. It doesn’t change anything."

Damien sat up, the sheets pooling around his waist. His eyes darkened, something unreadable flickering behind them. "It changes everything, Sienna."

She shook her head. "No, it doesn’t. I was supposed to stay in my lane, do my job, and keep my distance. This was never part of the plan."

Damien's expression turned unreadable. "Plans change."

Sienna let out a sharp breath. "Not with you. Not with us."

A charged silence filled the room.

Damien studied her, his eyes searching hers, as if trying to find the cracks in her resolve. And for a terrifying second, she thought he might.

But then his expression hardened, and when he spoke again, his voice was cool, controlled. "If that’s what you want to tell yourself, fine. But don’t pretend you didn’t feel it too."

Sienna stood, gathering her clothes, her hands shaking. "I have to go."

This time, he didn't stop her.

But as she reached the door, his voice cut through the silence, making her freeze.

"You can run, Sienna. But this? Us? It’s far from over."

Her fingers tightened around the doorknob.

She didn’t look back.

Because if she did, she knew she wouldn’t be able to leave