Rain hammered against the metal roof of the warehouse, a relentless rhythm that matched the pulse beating too fast in Alyssa's chest.
Dominic Hayes was too close, too real, too impossible to resist. His hand was still on her jaw, fingers warm against her skin, grounding her in a moment that should have never existed not in a world where danger never slept.
She could still taste the adrenaline, the violence of the last hour, the sharp edge of survival. But none of it compared to the heat in his gaze the way he looked at her like she was something worth risking everything for.
Dominic exhaled slowly, his breath warm against her face. "This is reckless."
Alyssa didn't move. "Since when has recklessness stopped either of us?"
A muscle in his jaw twitched, but he didn't step back. Instead, his hand slid lower, fingers tracing the line of her throat, the bruises left behind from the fight. Every touch carried weight a silent question, a lingering hesitation.
Her breath hitched. "You regret this already?"
Dominic's grip tightened ever so slightly, a possessive, involuntary reaction. His expression darkened, the storm outside reflected in his eyes. "No." His voice was hoarse, almost raw. "That's the problem."
Then he kissed her.
Not softly. Not hesitantly.
It was fire and desperation, a clash of tempers, a reckless claim neither of them had the luxury to take back. Alyssa's fingers tangled in his jacket, pulling him closer, grounding herself in his touch. They were supposed to be running, planning, surviving but here they were, lost in something far more dangerous.
Somewhere in the distance, a car engine roared Volkov's men, maybe, or another ghost from her past. The real world was still hunting them, but at that moment, with his lips tracing the curve of her jaw, Alyssa let herself forget.
Dominic pulled away first, his forehead resting against hers, breath ragged. "Tell me we can survive this."
She didn't lie. "I don't know."
The words hung between them, heavy with truth. But neither of them stepped away.