The light went out with a crackle, plunging the hallway into dark. Rain thudded against the windows, a constant low growl beneath the sound of their breaths. Noa could still feel Alessio’s heartbeat against his chest wild, uneven, fevered like a war drum under skin that hadn’t cooled since the chase.

“Kitchen,” Alessio whispered against his ear. It wasn’t a suggestion. It was a threat dressed as a promise, a vow laced with heat and hunger.

Noa’s legs were still trembling from the ...