starter for @prettytragcdies (Amanda)
The moment their eyes met across the room, amidst the clink of glasses and the dull hum of conversation, it was as though everything else fell away. He couldn't look away for the rest of the night.
Gabriel stepped closer, his intentions somewhat innocentโa drink, a word, a smile. But he got closer and closer to the point where he was near enough to catch the scent of her perfumeโsweet, warm, intoxicating. And it did something to him. Something he couldnโt shake.
The corner of his mouth lifted into something crooked, something dangerous, when his eyes fell on the glint of her wedding ring. So, she was married. The thought barely registered before it was swept aside.
"Tell me to stop," he said, his voice barely a whisper too close to her ear, rough from the heat building between them. "And I'll walk."
His fingers brushed her hipโlight, almost casualโbut it wasn't. Not even close. He didn't mean a damn word. He didn't want them to stop.
He led her out of the main room, through a dimly lit hallway almost no one used, the noise and people fading behind them. The air grew quieter, the tension between them palpable as they stepped into a space half-hidden, but not fully private.
His mouth hovered near hers, not quite kissing herโjust close enough for their breaths to mingle, hot and heavy. His eyes dark hungry, taking all of her in.
"Last chance," he murmured, his voice low, roughโa challenge, a dare. It was the kind of thing he'd say just before pulling a trigger. But she didn't pull away. And God help them both, that was enough.
The kiss came suddenlyโrushed, desperate, wanting to savor every second of it. Her lips were soft and warm against his, and the sound she made struck something deep in his chest. His hands gripped her waist, dragging her close, guiding her back against the wall. His other hand found her thigh, lifting and hooking her leg around his hip without hesitation.
His mouth moved down her jaw, barely grazing her skin, teasing her with soft, open-mouthed kisses, letting his lips wander lower, tracing the line of her neck, and he drank in the taste of her like it was something rareโsomething that shouldnโt have been his, but was for now.