Without Words

The storm came suddenly. One moment, the air was still, heavy with the weight of impending rain. The next, the sky cracked open, unleashing torrents of water against the windows.

Aurora stood by the window, gazing out at the storm as it raged outside, her heart beating fast for reasons she couldn’t quite explain. The power flickered for a moment before the house was plunged into darkness. The silence that followed was oppressive, thick with the tension that had been building for weeks.

She felt it every time Damien was near—this pull between them, undeniable and fierce. Every glance, every brush of his fingers, only deepened the craving. It was dangerous.

She shouldn’t want him. He was her employer, the father of the child she cared for. He was a billionaire MAFIA, untouchable and powerful. And she was… well, she was nothing more than a mute woman with a dark past, a secret identity hiding away in his mansion, hoping no one would ever see her for what she really was.

But that night, with the storm crashing against the windows, something shifted. The darkened house felt smaller, the air between them denser. She was in the hallway, walking back to her room, when she heard the sound of his footsteps behind her. She paused, her pulse quickening.

“You’re not going anywhere,” his voice came from the shadows, a deep rasp that made her heart race even faster.

Her body stiffened. She turned slowly, her breath caught in her throat. His silhouette was barely visible, but she could sense him there, just out of reach. She couldn’t see his expression, but she knew it. It was the same look he’d had every time he was near her—predatory, hungry, dangerous.

And it made her body ache.

Damien stepped closer, and she instinctively took a step back. The tension between them crackled in the air, like static before a storm. He reached out and gently cupped her chin, forcing her to look up at him. There was no escape now.

His fingers brushed her jawline with a tenderness that didn’t match the storm in his eyes. His touch was both a question and a command, and she could feel the heat of it searing through her skin.

“You don’t run from me, Aurora,” he whispered. “Not anymore.”

She opened her mouth, as though to protest, but the words didn’t come. Her throat tightened, her voice still a distant memory. The words she wanted to say—no, don’t—were trapped inside her, choking her.

But she didn’t pull away.

A flash of lightning illuminated the room, casting sharp shadows on the walls. She was frozen, caught in the storm of emotions that roared between them. Every inch of her body screamed at her to step back, to push him away, to keep him at a distance.

But something deeper—something darker—drove her forward. She couldn’t explain it, couldn’t understand it, but she needed him. Needed him in a way that scared her.

Damien’s lips parted, and in that fleeting moment of vulnerability, he leaned in. His breath was hot against her face, and she could feel the weight of his presence like a heavy cloak draped over her.

And then, without warning, his lips crashed into hers.

It wasn’t gentle. It wasn’t soft. It was raw and desperate, as if he couldn’t stop himself any longer. His hands moved to her back, pulling her against him, the heat of his body a stark contrast to the chill of the storm outside. She felt the hard planes of his chest press against hers, and the world seemed to tilt on its axis.

Aurora’s heart raced, the pulse of it echoing in her veins. She didn’t know what to do. She didn’t know how to respond. But when his tongue traced the seam of her lips, urging her to open, she did.

The kiss deepened, and she felt herself melting under the weight of it, her body reacting to him even though her mind screamed to stop. Her fingers tangled in his shirt, gripping it as though she needed something to anchor her in the whirlwind of sensation. His hands moved lower, tightening on her waist, pulling her closer.

It was a kiss that spoke volumes, even without words. It was hungry, possessive. She could feel the desire radiating off of him, and it mirrored the ache she couldn’t deny. He was all-consuming, and for the first time in a long time, she didn’t want to escape.

But then, as quickly as it began, he pulled back. His lips were still mere inches from hers, his breath ragged, his chest rising and falling with each deep inhale. She could see the hunger in his eyes, the desire that simmered beneath the surface, but he was holding back, just barely.

“I shouldn’t have done that,” he muttered, more to himself than to her.

Aurora’s fingers trembled at her sides, her body still vibrating from the intensity of the kiss. She felt light-headed, disoriented, like the ground had been ripped out from under her.

She should have stepped away. She should have pulled herself together. But when her mind couldn’t form the words, her body made the decision for her.

Aurora reached out, her fingers brushing against his chest, seeking, needing more. She pulled him closer again, her body moving on its own accord. She signed, No, but her hands betrayed her. She signed it because it was what she was supposed to do. She was supposed to resist, to push him away.

But the truth was—she didn’t want to.

Damien’s eyes darkened, and he let out a low growl of frustration. His hands moved to her hips, his grip tightening as he stepped closer.

The heat between them was palpable now, thick with need and unspoken desires.

“No,” he repeated, his voice rough with frustration. “You don’t get to make the rules anymore.”

She could feel the tension in his words, the warning that pulsed between them. And still, she didn’t pull away.

In that moment, the world outside—the storm, the darkened house—didn’t matter. All that mattered was the man standing before her, the man who could make her feel things she had never felt before.

All that mattered was the undeniable pull that brought them together.

Damien’s lips hovered just above hers, his breath mingling with hers. He could see the conflict in her eyes, the silent war waging inside her. But he didn’t care. He was done holding back. He was done pretending he didn’t want her.

He kissed her again.

This time, it was softer, slower. A tender invasion, like he was testing the waters. His hands roamed over her back, pulling her closer still, the warmth of his body wrapping around her like a blanket.

Aurora melted into him, her own hands reaching for him, tracing the line of his jaw, feeling the rasp of his stubble against her fingertips. She couldn’t stop herself. Her body was betraying her, urging her closer, urging her to give in.

And for the first time in what felt like forever, she did.

But as quickly as it began, Damien pulled away again, his chest heaving. He stepped back, his eyes dark with a mixture of frustration and something else—something deeper. Something dangerous.

“You can’t keep doing this to me,” he whispered, his voice hoarse.

Aurora swallowed, trying to find the words, but there were none. Her body was still trembling, still burning from the intensity of the kiss, from the way he had taken control of her in the span of a few moments.

He was too much.

Too dangerous.

But she wanted him. More than anything. And that thought terrified her.

“I don’t want to be the man who ruins you, Aurora,” Damien said, his voice barely audible in the thick silence that followed. “But I can’t stop myself.”

Aurora took a deep breath, her chest rising and falling with the weight of the moment. Her fingers trembled as she reached out to him, just a slight movement, a wordless plea.

He stared at her, his expression torn. But then, he stepped forward again, taking her hand in his. There was no going back now.

“We can’t keep doing this,” he murmured, his voice a mix of desire and restraint. “But we will.”

And for the first time, she realized that the storm inside her wasn’t just the rain battering the windows—it was Damien. And there was no escaping it.