Tell me to stop and I will.

Amara's POV

Days had passed, and the air around me was heavy with tension. I tried to focus on anything but them—Caden and Ryder—but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't escape the undeniable pull toward both of them.

I hated myself for it, hated that my emotions and my wolf were at constant odds. You can’t deny them forever, my wolf whispered.

I sighed, brushing her aside. "Yes, I can," I muttered under my breath.

That evening, I found myself in the brothers' house again, trying to keep my distance as much as possible. Caden had been unusually quiet all day, his soft glances at me almost unbearable to ignore.

I was sitting on his bed, absentmindedly flipping through a book, when I heard the bathroom door creak open. My heart skipped a beat as Caden stepped out, steam billowing behind him.

He wore nothing but a towel slung low around his hips, his chest bare and glistening with water droplets. His damp hair clung to his forehead, and his usual calm, composed demeanor was replaced with something raw, something unguarded.

I swallowed hard, forcing my eyes back to the book in my lap. But it was too late—my pulse was racing, my face burning.

Caden noticed. Of course, he noticed.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his voice soft but laced with amusement.

"I'm fine," I lied, my voice coming out higher than I intended.

He chuckled, the sound low and rich. "You don’t seem fine, Amara."

I dared to look up, and the intensity in his gaze caught me off guard. He stepped closer, running a hand through his wet hair before sitting down on the bed next to me.

The mattress dipped under his weight, and the proximity sent my senses into overdrive. His scent—a mix of soap and something uniquely him—wrapped around me, making it impossible to think straight.

"You're staring," he teased, a playful smirk tugging at his lips.

I snapped my gaze away, my cheeks flaming. "No, I'm not."

He leaned in slightly, his breath warm against my ear. "Liar."

My heart pounded as I turned to face him, and for a moment, the world fell away. There was only him, his piercing blue eyes locked on mine, his lips just inches away.

"Amara," he murmured, his voice husky. "Tell me to stop, and I will."

I opened my mouth to say something—anything—but the words wouldn’t come. Instead, I found myself leaning closer, my hand brushing against his chest. His skin was warm under my fingertips, his muscles tensing at my touch.

That was all the invitation he needed.

Caden closed the distance between us, his lips capturing mine in a kiss that was both gentle and demanding. I froze for a second, shocked by my own actions, but then I melted into him, my hands tangling in his damp hair.

His arms wrapped around me, pulling me closer until there was no space left between us. The kiss deepened, growing more passionate with every passing second. His lips were soft yet firm, his touch igniting a fire in me that I didn’t know existed.

When we finally pulled apart, both of us were breathing heavily, our foreheads resting against each other.

"Amara," he whispered, his voice filled with something I couldn’t quite name. "I—"

I pressed a finger to his lips, silencing him. "Don’t," I said softly. "Don’t say anything. I don’t know what this means yet."

He nodded, though there was a flicker of disappointment in his eyes. "Take your time," he said. "I’ll wait for you. No matter how long it takes."

I didn’t know how to respond, so I just nodded, pulling back slightly. But as I looked at him—his messy hair, his flushed cheeks, the way he looked at me like I was the only thing that mattered—I felt my resolve weakening.

The pull between us was undeniable, and for the first time, I wasn’t sure I wanted to fight it.

The room was quiet, save for the sound of our breathing. The kiss we had just shared lingered in the air, a memory that refused to fade. Caden was still close, his scent enveloping me, his presence so overwhelming it made my heart race.

“Amara,” he said again, his voice softer this time, almost pleading. “I can’t pretend anymore.”

I swallowed hard, my chest tightening. “Pretend what?”

“That I don’t want you,” he admitted, his fingers brushing against mine. “Every time I see you, every moment we’re near, it’s like I’m being pulled into your orbit. And I don’t want to fight it anymore.”

His words left me breathless. I wanted to say something, anything, but my thoughts were a tangled mess. Before I could respond, he leaned in again, his lips capturing mine in a kiss that was slow and deliberate, as if he were savoring every second.

This time, I didn’t hold back. My hands slid up his chest, feeling the warmth of his skin beneath my fingertips. His arms wrapped around me, pulling me into his lap until I was straddling him.

“You drive me crazy, Amara,” he murmured against my lips, his hands resting on my waist, holding me like I was something precious. “You have no idea what you do to me.”

I tilted my head back, letting out a shaky breath as his lips moved to my neck, trailing soft kisses along my skin. Every touch sent shivers down my spine, igniting a fire that burned brighter with each passing moment.

“Caden,” I whispered, my voice barely audible.

He pulled back slightly, his blue eyes searching mine. “Tell me to stop, and I will,” he said, his voice thick with emotion. “But if you don’t want me to…”

I didn’t let him finish. Instead, I leaned in, pressing my lips to his in a kiss that spoke the words I couldn’t say.

His hands tightened on my waist as the kiss deepened, his touch both gentle and possessive. I felt myself melting into him, my heart pounding as his fingers slid up my back, tracing slow, tantalizing patterns that left me breathless.

The heat between us was intoxicating, and for a moment, it felt like the rest of the world didn’t exist—like it was just the two of us, lost in a moment that neither of us wanted to end.

But then, reality crept back in, a nagging voice in the back of my mind reminding me of how complicated everything was.

I pulled back, my breathing uneven as I placed a hand on his chest. “Caden, we can’t…”

He looked at me, his expression torn between longing and understanding. “I know,” he said, his voice rough. “But tell me you feel it too, Amara. This… this connection between us.”

I hesitated, my heart aching at the vulnerability in his eyes. “I feel it,” I admitted, my voice trembling. “But it doesn’t change how messy this is.”

Caden nodded, his hands sliding down to rest on my hips. “Messy or not, I’m not giving up on us, Amara. I can’t.”

The sincerity in his voice made my chest tighten, and I found myself leaning into him once more, my forehead resting against his.

“I don’t know how to do this,” I whispered.

“Then we’ll figure it out together,” he said, his fingers gently brushing a strand of hair from my face.

For the first time in what felt like forever, I let myself believe that maybe, just maybe, this could work. That despite the chaos and the pain, there was something worth holding onto.