Night wrapped around the penthouse like velvet—soft, silent, concealing. Yet inside, every light was off except one: the dim glow from the fireplace licking shadows across the walls and bodies.
Riven stood before it, shirt unbuttoned, hair damp from a shower that had done nothing to wash away Cassian's touch still etched on his skin. His reflection flickered in the window—eyes stormy, mouth tense. He heard footsteps before he felt the shift in the air.
"You're not sleeping," Cassian murmured from behind.
"I can't."
Cassian didn't ask why. Instead, he closed the distance, pressing his body against Riven's back, letting their heat reconnect like instinct.
"You still hear it?" he asked softly.
"The way you said my name," Riven answered, head tilting back. "Last night. It keeps echoing."
Cassian's hands slid up his chest, fingers spreading wide across his heart like he wanted to brand him with his touch.
"I meant it. Every breath of it."
Riven turned, chest brushing against Cassian's. "Then say it again."
Cassian did—but not with words. His mouth claimed Riven's in a kiss that devoured hesitation, replacing it with slow hunger. Every motion was deliberate. They weren't rushing now. They were reliving. Revering.
He lowered Riven to the plush rug before the fire, kissing every inch of skin revealed by trembling fingers. Riven gasped when Cassian mouthed his hipbone, teeth scraping just enough to sting.
"You want more?" Cassian asked, voice low, wicked.
Riven's answer was a moan and a roll of his hips—needy, demanding, surrendering.
Cassian gave him everything.
He worshipped every inch, hands gripping, mouth teasing, until Riven was panting, thighs trembling, sweat-damp and wild-eyed. Then he sank into him, slow and deep, forehead pressed to Riven's as their bodies melted into rhythm.
The temptation wasn't just in the touch—it was in the words they didn't say. The feelings they were too afraid to speak. But their bodies knew. Their hearts pounded them out in code only they could feel.
When they came, it wasn't loud—it was sacred. Breaths mingling. Eyes locked. Time stilled. Echoes of their bond carved into every touch, every thrust, every heartbeat.
Cassian collapsed beside him, pulling Riven into his arms.
"I can't undo this," Cassian whispered.
"I don't want you to," Riven said. "Even if it breaks me."
Cassian kissed his temple. "Then let's break together."
And in the hush of the flames, the echoes of temptation lingered—aching, beautiful, and dangerously real.