Page 63 of Shatter

The silence is thick, charged with a tension that feels like a live wire between us.

"Do you want me?" he asks, his voice dropping an octave.

I nod, unable to find my voice.

I reach out, my fingers trembling, and touch his forearm.

His muscles are like granite under my fingertips.

I want him to take me, but the thought of losing control sends a flicker of panic through my chest.

I need to be the one who decides.

I need to know that I can stop the world if it gets too heavy.

He senses it.

He doesn't push.

He just watches me, his gaze heavy and patient.

As we move together, the air grows hot.

He begins to kiss me, slow and deliberate, tasting of heat and hunger.

His hands are large, warm, and cautious.

At one point, as he shifts his weight, his hand brushes the back of my neck.

I freeze.

The world vanishes.

For a split second, I'm not in the clubhouse, I'm back in that dark room, feeling a grip that meant pain and ownership.

My muscles lock, my breath catching in a sharp, audible hitch.

Hakon reacts instantly.

He doesn't just move his hand. He recoils, pulling his arm completely away from me.

He stops everything.

He doesn't ask why, he doesn't apologize with words that would only clutter the moment.

He just freezes, giving me space, giving me the air I need to realize I'm not there anymore.

I stare at him, my chest heaving.

He’s waiting for my signal.

He isn't annoyed, he isn't confused.

He’s simply still.

The realization hits me like a slap to the face.

When I say stop, he stops.