KANE POV:
The night had gone from bad to worse in record ti. Elena was completely sloshed, teetering between hilariously annoying and dangerously tempting. If there was a Goddess of Self-Control, I needed her intervention imdiately.
We were barely halfway through the front door when she stopped, tugging at the neckline of her dress. "It’s hot," she declared, her words slightly slurred.
"It’s not hot, Elena," I replied, exasperated. "You’re just drunk."
She waved off dismissively. "Nope. Hot. Way too hot."
And then, to my horror, she began tugging at the hem of her dress. "Elena, stop!" I barked, reaching for her hands, but she swatted away with the agility of soone who had clearly drunk too much.
"I’m just—" She paused to hiccup. "—getting comfortable, Kane. Relax."
Comfortable? She was about to strip naked in the middle of the living room!
Before I could so much as say, "don’t do it" she grabbed the hem of her dress and yanked it over her head, tossing it onto the floor like it had personally offended her. My jaw dropped.
"Elena!" I hissed, glancing around even though we were already inside. "What the hell are you doing?"
"It’s hot, Kane," she slurred, kicking off her heels and reaching for her bra strap next. "I can’t—ugh—breathe in all this...fabric prison!"
"Fabric prison?" I repeated, blinking in disbelief as she started fumbling with the clasp at her back.
"Whoa, whoa! Stop that!" I snapped, grabbing her hands before it could go too far.
"Why? You’ve seen before!" she said, laughing as if this was all so great joke.
"No, Elena. Not like this." My voice was firm, but the sight of her flushed face and bare skin was doing things to my already fraying self-control.
I had crossed the room in three strides, grabbing her hands before she could completely strip in the middle of the damn living room. She pouted up at , her cheeks flushed, her eyes glassy, and her lips curving into what I assud was ant to be a seductive smirk.
Seeing she wasn’t going to listen, I scooped her up into my arms, carrying her princess-style toward our bedroom. "Alright, you’re going to bed before you embarrass yourself any further."
She gasped, then started giggling again. "Oh my gosh, Kane! You’re carrying like I’m a princess!"
"You are my princess," I muttered under my breath, though she probably didn’t catch it.
She reached up and pinched my cheek with surprising accuracy for soone so drunk. "You’re so serious all the ti, Alpha. Why are you so serious? Smile! Life is fun!"
"Life is exhausting," I grumbled, maneuvering us through the hallway.
"Why are you so grumpy?" she asked, her fingers still tugging at my cheek.
"Because you’re drunk and impossible to deal with," I replied.
She reached up and pinched my cheek, her fingers soft but insistent. "Aw, look at you, Kane. All serious and grumpy, but deep down, you’re a big ol’ softie, aren’t you?"
"Elena, stop pinching ," I grumbled, adjusting my grip on her so she wouldn’t slip.
"You’re so cute when you’re mad," she teased, her giggles spilling into the air like music. "Do it again. Say sothing bossy. It’s hot."
I ignored her, focusing on getting her upstairs and into the room before she got any more ideas.
"Do you ever smile?" she asked, her voice dripping with mock accusation. "You should smile more. You’d be even hotter."
"Elena..."
"I’m serious!" she insisted, poking my face like she was trying to force my lips into a smile.
By the ti we reached the bed, she was humming so unrecognizable tune and playing with my hair like a toddler who’d just discovered sothing fascinating.
"You’re hair’s so soft," she murmured, her voice dreamy. "Do you use conditioner? What’s your secret?"
"Elena," I said firmly, lowering her onto the bed. "Stay here. Don’t move. Don’t strip. Don’t do anything. Just...stay."
She gave a mock salute. "Yes, sir, Alpha, sir!"
I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck. How did my life turn into this circus? All I wanted was a quiet dinner and so ti to figure out where we stood. Instead, I was babysitting a drunk mate who was one step away from starting a striptease.
She grinned up at like I’d just told her the funniest joke in the world. "You’re so bossy. I like it."
Goddess help .
I ran a hand through my hair, trying to steady myself. "I’m going to the bathroom. Stay."
I didn’t wait for a reply, heading straight to the adjoining bathroom to splash cold water on my face. I needed to cool off—literally and figuratively. Elena was drunk, completely out of her mind, and I couldn’t—no, wouldn’t—take advantage of that, no matter how tempting she made it.
I splashed water on my face and took a deep breath. You’re an Alpha, Kane. Get a grip.
When I stepped back into the room, I froze.
"Elena," I groaned, dragging a hand down my face.
She was standing in the middle of the room, completely undressed, her hands on her hips and a challenging glint in her eyes.
"What part of ’don’t strip’ did you not understand?" I asked, my voice strained as I fought the urge to look anywhere but at her.
She tilted her head innocently, as if she had no idea what she was doing. "You said not to strip on the bed. I wasn’t on the bed."
I groaned again, closing my eyes. "Elena, put your clothes back on."
Instead of answering, she sauntered—yes, sauntered—over to , stopping so close I could feel the heat radiating off her skin.
"Do you not like what you see?" she asked, her voice sultry, though the slight slur ruined the effect.
"Goddess, Elena, don’t do this," I said, backing up until I hit the wall. "You’re drunk."
"And you’re sexy," she shot back, her lips curving into a mischievous smile.
"Elena," I warned, my hands gripping the edge of the dresser behind . "This isn’t funny."
"Who’s laughing?" she asked, stepping closer. Her fingers trailed up my arm, sending shivers down my spine. "You’re always so serious, Kane. Don’t you ever just...let go?"
She stood on her tiptoes, her lips brushing against my jaw. "I’ll be good, Kane. I promise. Just tell what you want, and I’ll do it."
I growled low in my throat, every fiber of my being screaming at to pull her closer, to claim her, to show her exactly how much I wanted her. But she was drunk, and I couldn’t—shouldn’t—do this.
"Elena, stop," I said, my voice rough as I grabbed her wrists gently, holding her at arm’s length.
But she didn’t stop. She placed her hands on my chest, her touch sending a jolt through , and leaned in closer, her lips brushing against my jaw. "Co on, Alpha," she whispered, her voice a sultry purr. "Don’t you want ?"
I stared at her, stunned. "What?"
Did I want her? For fuck’s sake, of course, I wanted her. The scent of her skin, the warmth of her body pressed against mine—it was taking everything I had not to throw her onto the bed and claim her right then and there.
Tears welled up in her eyes, and she sniffled, her lower lip trembling. "I’ll try, Kane. I’ll try to endure the pain if that’s what it takes to make you want ."
For fuck’s sake.
"Elena, stop," I said, my voice firm but gentle. "You don’t need to ’endure’ anything for to want you. I already want you, okay? I’ve wanted you since the mont I saw you."
"Then why won’t you—"
"Because you’re drunk," I interrupted, my voice rising slightly. "And I’m not that kind of man. I’m not going to take advantage of you when you’re like this."
She stared at , her tears spilling over, and I felt my heart crack.
"You don’t get it," I said, my voice softer now. "I don’t need you to be submissive or to do anything crazy to make want you. Hell, Elena, I’m already so damn aroused just looking at you. You don’t need to prove anything to ."
Her lip quivered, and before I knew it, I was kissing her.
It was supposed to be a soft kiss, a reassurance that she didn’t need to do anything to earn my affection. But the mont our lips t, it was like a dam broke.
My hands found her waist, pulling her closer as her arms wrapped around my neck. She kissed back with a hunger that matched my own, and for a mont, I forgot everything—her drunken state, my own resolve, the promises I’d made to myself.
I reached for her thighs, lifting her effortlessly as she wrapped her legs around my waist. She gasped against my lips, her fingers tangling in my hair as I carried her to the bed.
I laid her down gently, hovering over her as my lips trailed down her neck, her breathy moans fueling the fire raging inside .
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