The morning light spilled across the living room, soft golden beams cutting through the curtains and settling across the floor. I sat on the edge of the couch, fingers wrapped tightly around my coffee mug, trying to ground myself. The memory of last night—the heat, the possessiveness, the hands of two men exploring me—still lingered like fire beneath my skin. Cassian’s teasing, Adrian’s controlling grip, the way their attention had shifted seamlessly between claiming me and daring me… it had left me trembling, both physically and emotionally.

Cleo stirred in the kitchen, the clatter of her morning routine a comforting contrast to the storm inside me. She hummed softly while brewing her coffee, oblivious—or perhaps pretending to be—about the chaos of my thoughts. I wanted to speak, to warn myself with words that made sense, but my mind kept returning to the heat of last night, the slick intensity that had left me addicted to every touch.

I felt Cleo’s gaze as she turned to take a sip of her coffee. Her sharp, perceptive eyes caught mine, and I knew she could see through me. She tilted her head, arching a single brow, and said, “Sophie… what the hell were you thinking last night?”

I froze, the memory of the washroom at prom night tightening my chest. The way the heat had pressed around me, the way Adrian’s possessive hands had melded with Cassian’s teasing fingers… it all came rushing back in vivid detail. I swallowed hard, my throat dry. “Cleo… it… it just… happened,” I muttered, voice trembling. “I didn’t… plan it.”

Cleo’s arms crossed over her chest, eyes narrowing, exasperation mixed with disbelief. “Happened? Sophie, you invited another professor into the same space as Adrian. Both of them. Last night. In a bathroom. Do you even hear yourself?”

I bit my lip, chewing at the words I wanted to say but couldn’t. “I… I know it was… intense. Too intense. I… I just… I didn’t expect—” My voice caught, and I pressed my hands to my face, trying to calm the thrum of heat still pulsing in my veins.

Cleo stepped closer, resting a hand lightly on my shoulder, her touch grounding, almost maternal. “Sophie, listen. You know Adrian. You know Cassian. Both of them… possessive, controlling… dangerous in their own ways. You can’t let this spiral into something neither of them can handle.”

I leaned into her touch, taking a shaky breath. “I know, Cleo. I just… I can’t stop thinking about them. Both of them. Together. And last night… it was more than I’ve ever felt. I—” My chest tightened, and I stopped, the words failing me as the memory of heat and dominance surged through me.

Cleo’s eyes softened slightly, but the warning edge remained. “Sophie… be careful. You know the rules we agreed on, the lines Adrian expects. You can’t cross them, especially with Cassian. He’s… too close. Too tempting. You can’t—”

I nodded, voice barely above a whisper. “I know. I won’t. I’ll be careful.”

Even as I said it, I felt a thrill of anticipation curl through me. Because I wasn’t careful, and I hadn’t been careful last night, and the memory of their combined touch still left me aching and trembling. The thought made my pulse spike, a heat pooling low in my stomach that I couldn’t ignore.

I shifted, glancing at my phone on the counter. A text notification from Cassian made my heart leap. “I’m ready for another challenge. Whenever you and Adrian are prepared, Sophie… I can’t stop thinking about last night.”

I froze. My fingers trembled as I read and reread the message, heart hammering in my chest. The words were a spark, igniting a fire that spread through me, leaving me breathless. My pulse raced as I imagined his fingers teasing, his hands claiming, his eyes watching me the way they had last night. The thought sent a shiver down my spine, equal parts fear and desire.

Cleo glanced at me, noticing my stiff posture and the flush creeping up my neck. “Sophie… what is it?”

I swallowed, my voice catching. “It’s… Cassian. He… he wants… another challenge. He says… he can’t stop thinking about last night.” My words came out in a rush, heavy with both awe and trepidation.

Cleo’s expression shifted, a mix of exasperation and alarm crossing her face. “Another challenge? Sophie, for God’s sake, you need to stop this before it spins out of control. You can’t… you cannot involve yourself like that again. Not with him, not with Adrian. One is dangerous enough!”

I pressed my lips together, blinking rapidly. “I know, I know… I just…” My body ached with the memory of last night, the way they had claimed me, how my mind had surrendered while every nerve ending had come alive under their control. “I can’t stop thinking about it. About them. Together.”

Even as I said it, a new text arrived—this time from Adrian. My stomach clenched at seeing his name. Meet me at my house. I have something important to discuss.

I pressed my lips together, nodding silently, feeling both terror and anticipation coil in my chest. Because I knew exactly what I was letting myself into. And I wanted it, in ways that terrified me.

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