<b>Chapter </b><b>23 </b>


    Dominic’s grip tightened, guiding me as he thrust upward, the seat creaking with his urgency. His face was taut–jaw clenched, eyes hooded, sweat beading on his brow in the dim light. “You’re killing me,<b>” </b>he rasped, the raw edge in his voice pushing me into another climax, my body tightening around him. I felt unraveling, each sensation sharper than thest.


    When Dominic’s rhythm faltered, his breath ragged, I knew he was close. His hands pulled me


    tighter, his cock pulsing as he hit his peak with a deep, guttural moan that echoed in the small


    space.


    For a moment, his eyes softened, and I thought he might say something–something to cement this fleeting moment. Instead, he drew me close, my chest pressed against his, our heartbeats pounding in sync against the hum of the cooling engine. I melted into him, body spent, mind reeling.


    Afterward, I copsed against his chest, our naked bodies still pressed together in the confined space of the backseat. The windows werepletely fogged now, creating a private bubble that separated us from the world outside. My breathing gradually slowed as the waves of pleasure ebbed, leaving me in a strange, vulnerable state.


    As the euphoria faded, reality began seeping back into my consciousness. The failed interview at Sterling Medical Center. Dad’s worsening condition. The mounting medical bills. The fact that I’d just had sex in a car with the very man whosepany had rejected me made my stomach tighten with shame.


    Dominic’s handzily traced patterns on my bare back, his chest rising and falling beneath me. I could feel his heartbeat gradually returning to normal, strong and steady against my cheek.


    “You’re thinking too loudly,” he murmured, his lips brushing against my hair.


    I remained silent, unable to articte the conflict raging inside me. This was the second time I’d fallen into his orbit, despite all my promises to myself. What was I doing with my life? Dad needed me to be strong, focused, finding solutions–not naked in a luxury car with an arrogant wolf shifter.


    My phone buzzed from somewhere in the tangle of clothes on the floor. Three frantic messages from Sofia asking where I was. I quickly texted back that I was fine, avoiding specifics about my current situation.


    I felt Dominic shift beneath me, his body stirring with renewed interest. His hands, which had been


    7:56 <b>Sat</b><b>, </b><b>Sep </b><b>20 </b>


    :


    gently caressing my skin<b>, </b>became more purposeful, sliding down to grip my hips.


    “Ready for round two?” he whispered, his voice dropping to that deep register that had undone me earlier. His eyes had darkened again. “I can’t get enough of you.”


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    The heat in his gaze that had set me aze minutes ago now made me ufortable. The reality of my situation–naked in a car, my responsibilities abandoned–crashed over me like cold water.


    “No,” I said firmly, attempting to pull away. “I need to go.”


    Instead of respecting my boundary, Dominic tightened his grip, misinterpreting my resistance as yfulness. “Your body tells a different story, little doe,” he growled, rolling his hips upward to prove his point.


    Something in me snapped. Without thinking, I brought my hand down hard across his face, the sharp crack echoing in the car’s interior.


    “I said no!”


    The change was instantaneous. Dominic froze, shock evident in his features before they hardened into something cold and predatory. His eyes shed with an unnatural blue light, and a low, inhuman growl rumbled from his chest. I suddenly felt very aware of my nakedness, my


    vulnerability.


    His hand shot up to grip my wrist painfully tight, his other hand still locked around my hip, holding me in ce. “Do you have any idea what you just did?” he asked, his voice barely recognizable- deeper, rougher, almost a snarl.


    I stared at him, heart pounding with fear now instead of passion. The man beneath me seemed transformed, his features sharper somehow, more dangerous.


    “You’re the first woman who has ever dared to strike me,” he continued, his grip tightening further. “Do you have any idea what the consequences are for that?”


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