𝑴𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒄𝒍𝒂𝒊𝒎

𝑺𝒉𝒂𝒅𝒐𝒘𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒐𝒃𝒔𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏

               𝐒𝐔𝐍𝐆 𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐁𝐈𝐍

The warmth of Hao's lips still lingered in my mind, a haunting sensation I couldn't escape. As I walked away, every step felt heavier, like I was leaving behind a piece of myself I hadn't meant to give. That kiss had been impulsive-a moment born of desire I could no longer suppress-but it had also been everything.

His lips had been soft, hesitant, and so much sweeter than I'd dared imagine. The way his breath hitched, the faint tremble in his shoulders-it was intoxicating. In that brief moment, I had felt him melt against me, even if only slightly, as though his defenses were beginning to crack.

But I had left. I'd forced myself to pull back before I could claim more, before I could ruin him with the depth of my need.

Now, standing outside in the cold, the world felt muted, distant. My heart still raced, my hands still tingled with the memory of his warmth. How was it possible for someone to feel so much like home and yet set every nerve in my body on fire?

I turned slightly, glancing back through the window. Hao was sitting there, surrounded by his friends. His laughter floated in the air, a soft, delicate sound that made something primal twist inside me. He looked so... untouched, so perfect in that moment, like my kiss hadn't just shaken the foundation of his world.

But I knew better. I saw the way his gaze flickered down to his hands, the way his lips pressed together as if he could still feel mine.

I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms. His friends were talking to him, laughing, oblivious to the storm I had left inside him. It irritated me how easily they could sit so close to him, share his attention. They didn't deserve it. They didn't deserve him.

He is mine.

The thought hit me harder than I expected, almost knocking the air from my lungs. He didn't know it yet-not fully. Maybe not even at all. But he was mine to protect, mine to cherish. And the kiss was only the beginning.

Even now, I felt the pull to go back. To sit beside him, to touch him again, to make him look at me with that same wide-eyed wonder. But I couldn't-not yet. If I rushed, I'd scare him, and the last thing I wanted was for him to push me away.

No, I had to be patient. I had to let him think, let him feel the absence of me as much as I felt the absence of him.

But it didn't mean I wasn't watching.

I stepped into my car, the leather cold against my back, and turned on the dashboard screen. The cameras inside his house flickered to life, showing the quiet corners of his sanctuary. I didn't need to do this right now-I could have waited-but I was weak when it came to Hao.

My lips quirked upward as I watched him through the screen, his expression softening even as his friends surrounded him. He might not realize it yet, but I had already left my mark on him.

He'd never forget that kiss. Just like I would never forget the way he had looked at me, like I was the only thing that existed in his world

I stared at the screen, my thoughts spiraling. The image of Hao's lips, the memory of how they felt against mine, lingered like a fire on my skin. Every time I closed my eyes, I could still feel the warmth, the tenderness of his kiss. I wanted more-needed more.

But it wasn't just about the kiss. It was about claiming him, marking him as mine in every way that mattered.

I should have pulled away, should have respected the line between us, but something in the way Hao had responded, the softness of his touch against my skin, made it impossible. It was like a damn had broken inside me, and I couldn't stop the flood of emotions.