7. The edge of control

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The next morning came far too quickly, the early light spilling through the cabin windows, casting a golden hue over the room. Asi woke up feeling disoriented, her mind still buzzing from the night before. She rolled over, groaning softly as she tried to shake off the memories of Alaz's lips on hers, his hands gripping her waist, the way he made her feel like she was losing control.

The worst part was, she couldn't decide if she hated it... or craved more of it.

She stumbled out of bed, pulling on a hoodie and jeans before heading to the kitchen to make herself a cup of coffee. But as soon as she walked in, she froze. Alaz was already there, leaning against the counter with a mug in hand, looking annoyingly relaxed. His hair was tousled, and he was still wearing the same clothes from last night, as if he hadn't even bothered to change before crashing on the couch.

"Morning, sunshine," he drawled, his lips curling into a smirk. "Sleep well?"

Asi rolled her eyes, pouring herself a cup and pointedly ignoring him. "Not in the mood, Alaz."

"Oh, come on," he said, taking a slow sip of his coffee. "I thought we had a pretty good time last night. Or did I imagine all of that?"

She clenched her jaw, willing herself to stay calm, but she could feel the heat rising in her cheeks. "It was a mistake," she said flatly, staring down at her coffee. "It won't happen again."

Alaz raised an eyebrow, his smirk widening. "A mistake, huh? Funny, I didn't hear you complaining when you had your hands all over me."

Asi's head snapped up, her eyes flashing with anger. "You're such a-"

"Jerk? Yeah, I've heard that one before," he interrupted, his tone mocking. "But you didn't stop me, did you? In fact, I'm pretty sure you kissed me first."

"I was drunk," she lied, even though they both knew it wasn't true. "It didn't mean anything."

He set his mug down, stepping closer, and Asi could feel the buzz of electricity between them, sharp and intoxicating. "Then why are you so flustered?" he murmured, his voice low and taunting. "If it didn't mean anything, why are you getting so worked up about it?"

Asi glared at him, her hands curling into fists. "I'm not flustered," she snapped, though the way her heart was racing said otherwise. "I just... don't want you getting any ideas."

Alaz chuckled, a sound that sent shivers down her spine. "Too late for that, Rebellious Girl." He took another step closer, and Asi instinctively backed up, her back hitting the counter. "I've got plenty of ideas, and they all involve you."

Asi's pulse quickened, and she hated the way his words sent a thrill through her, even as they made her want to slap that cocky grin off his face. "I told you not to call me that," she said through gritted teeth.

"And I told you," he said, leaning in until his lips were dangerously close to her ear, "that I like getting under your skin."

She could feel his breath against her neck, warm and teasing, and it made her knees weak. She wanted to push him away, to tell him to stop playing games, but instead, she found herself tilting her head, almost unconsciously, giving him more access.

"You're so predictable," he whispered, his lips just grazing her skin. "You act all tough, but the moment I get close, you melt. It's cute, really."

Asi's temper flared, and she shoved him back, hard enough to make him stumble. "I'm not cute," she snapped, her voice shaking with frustration. "And I'm not playing your stupid games."

Alaz caught himself, straightening up with a dark, amused smile. "Oh, but you are," he said, his eyes glinting with mischief. "You've been playing since the moment we got here, and you're losing."

Asi opened her mouth to argue, but he cut her off, his tone turning sharp. "You think you can just brush this off, pretend like it didn't happen, but we both know that's not true. You can deny it all you want, but you can't hide from me."

He stepped forward again, and this time, Asi didn't back away. She stood her ground, her chin tilted up defiantly, even though her heart was pounding so hard she thought it might burst out of her chest.

"I'm not hiding," she said, her voice barely above a whisper, but there was a fire in her eyes that dared him to challenge her. "I'm just not interested."

"Liar," Alaz said, and before she could react, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her closer, his other hand sliding up her back, anchoring her in place. "If you really weren't interested, you wouldn't be standing here, letting me do this."

Asi's breath hitched, and she hated that he was right. She hated that no matter how much she tried to resist, her body seemed to have a mind of its own, leaning into him, craving his touch. "You're impossible," she said, but the words came out weak, more like a plea than an insult.

"And you love it," he said, his voice soft but taunting. "Admit it, Asi. You like it when I push you, when I make you feel things you're too scared to admit."

She glared at him, her eyes burning with defiance. "I don't owe you anything," she said, but her voice wavered, betraying the confusion she felt.

Alaz's smile softened, but it didn't lose its edge. "No, you don't. But you want to give it to me anyway, don't you?"

He leaned in, his lips hovering just above hers, close enough to kiss but not quite touching. It was maddening, the way he teased her, making her want something she couldn't bring herself to ask for. "Say it," he murmured, his voice a low, seductive challenge. "Tell me you want me."

Asi's heart was in her throat, her mind screaming at her to shove him away, to walk out of the room and never look back. But her body betrayed her, her lips parting, the words slipping out before she could stop them. "I hate you," she whispered, but there was no anger in her voice, only a desperate, aching need.

Alaz's smile widened, and he closed the gap, his lips brushing hers in a kiss that was slow, deliberate, and completely intoxicating. It wasn't like the kiss from the night before, wild and frantic; this was different, a slow burn that made her head spin, made her forget everything except the feel of him against her.

He pulled back just enough to look at her, his eyes dark and intense. "Try again," he said, his lips curving into a smirk. "This time, tell me the truth."

Asi's hands tightened around his shirt, and she bit her lip, torn between the desire to slap him and the urge to pull him closer. "You're infuriating," she said, but the way she said it sounded almost like a confession, like she was admitting defeat.

"And you're irresistible," he replied, his voice low and smooth. "Now, do us both a favor and stop pretending you don't want this."

Asi's eyes flashed, but before she could respond, Alaz kissed her again, harder this time, and all her resistance melted away. She kissed him back with everything she had, pouring all her frustration, confusion, and desire into that one moment.

It was intense, almost overwhelming, and for a moment, she felt like she was drowning, like she was losing herself in him. But she didn't care. For once, she didn't want to care.

When they finally broke apart, both of them were breathing hard, and Alaz rested his forehead against hers, his hands still gripping her waist. "See?" he whispered, his voice rough. "That wasn't so hard, was it?"

Asi wanted to snap back, to come up with some witty retort, but she couldn't. Because the truth was, she was losing this game, and she didn't know how to stop.

"Shut up," she said instead, her voice barely more than a breath, and it made Alaz chuckle, a low, satisfied sound that sent shivers down her spine.

"Make me," he murmured, and the challenge in his eyes made her heart skip a beat.

It was maddening, infuriating, and addictive, all at once. And Asi knew, even as she kissed him again, that this was far from over. The tension between them wasn't going away; it was only growing, and sooner or later, something was going to break.

But for now, she was content to lose herself in the chaos, to let Alaz push her to the edge of control, and see just how far she was willing to fall.

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