Chapter 7 The Games We Play

• Noah couldn’t focus the rest of the night. The kiss, the way Elias’s lips had tasted against his, was still seared into his mind. His body still felt the heat, the undeniable pull that Elias had on him. He tried to shake it off, to move on, but each time he thought of pushing the memory away, it came back stronger, the warmth of Elias’s touch flooding his senses. He had wanted to fight it, to walk away, but it felt like a trap he was already too deep in to escape.
• The night dragged on, and when it was finally time to close the bar, Noah couldn’t bring himself to leave. He had stayed too long, too absorbed in his thoughts, in the growing tension between him and Elias. The club had emptied out, the music faded, and the lights dimmed. But Noah was still stuck, trapped in the chaos that Elias had brought into his life.
• He was wiping down the counter when he felt the presence behind him again. That familiar, suffocating heat filled the air as Elias stepped into his space, as if he had been waiting for the perfect moment. His shadow fell over Noah, and Noah couldn’t ignore the chill that ran down his spine.
• “You’re still here,” Elias said, his voice low, almost like a purr. He wasn’t asking—it was more of a statement, a confirmation that Noah was still tangled in his web.
• Noah didn’t turn around, afraid of what he might see in Elias’s eyes. But his voice came out steady, controlled, even if his heart was pounding in his chest. “I’m finishing up.”
• “I can see that.” Elias’s footsteps echoed softly behind him. He was closer now, much closer. Close enough that Noah could feel the heat radiating from him, a warmth that contrasted with the cool air of the bar.
• Noah didn’t respond, trying to push through the fog of his own mind. He couldn’t afford to get caught in Elias’s games again. Not after everything that had already happened. But Elias wouldn’t let him.
• “You know, it’s funny,” Elias said, breaking the silence. Noah tensed, waiting for whatever dark comment Elias had prepared. “You think you can resist me, but you can’t. You know it as well as I do.”
• Noah’s hands gripped the counter tighter, the muscles in his arms tense. “Stop,” he said through clenched teeth. He didn’t want to hear this. He didn’t want to acknowledge the truth, the fact that Elias was right.
• But Elias was persistent. He stepped closer, his presence overwhelming, and Noah felt a tremor run through him as Elias’s hand grazed his back, sending a surge of warmth straight to his core.
• “You think you can control this,” Elias murmured. “But the more you fight it, the harder it’s going to be. You’re mine, whether you admit it or not.”
• Noah’s breath caught, and he clenched his jaw, fighting the urge to turn around, to face Elias. But the man’s voice was like a drug, filling his mind with every word, making it harder to think clearly.
• “I’m not yours,” Noah spat, his voice shaking with frustration. He couldn’t be, not after everything, not after the games Elias had played. But deep down, there was a part of him that wondered if Elias was right. What if he was already lost?
• “You are,” Elias said, his tone soft but laced with a dangerous edge. “You’ve been mine from the moment I walked into that bar. And you know it.”
• Noah swallowed hard, the words hitting him harder than he cared to admit. He had told himself it was just a game, that he could walk away, but Elias had a way of making him doubt everything he thought he knew about himself. Every time their eyes met, every time Elias touched him, it was like his resolve cracked just a little bit more.
• Elias’s hand slid lower, just grazing Noah’s waist, and Noah’s breath hitched in his throat. He wasn’t sure if it was anger or desire that burned through him, but it didn’t matter. Elias had him exactly where he wanted him, and Noah couldn’t stop it.
• “You can resist me all you want,” Elias continued, his voice barely above a whisper, “but it won’t change the fact that I’m the only thing you’ll ever want in the end.”
• Noah turned around then, facing Elias fully for the first time since the kiss. His heart was racing, his fists clenched at his sides, but Elias’s gaze never wavered. The smirk on his lips only deepened, as if he knew exactly how Noah was feeling, as if he could read him like an open book.
• “I’m not yours,” Noah said again, his voice barely more than a whisper. He had to say it. He had to make it real, even if it felt like he was lying to himself.
• Elias’s smirk turned into something darker, something more dangerous. He stepped forward, closing the distance between them, and Noah could feel his heartbeat in his throat. “You will be,” Elias whispered, just before his lips crashed into Noah’s once more.
• This time, the kiss was even more forceful, more desperate. Elias’s hands slid into Noah’s hair, pulling him closer, claiming him in a way that left no room for resistance. Noah’s mind screamed at him to pull away, to push Elias off, but his body responded without his permission, his arms wrapping around Elias’s neck, pulling him in deeper.
• Elias’s kiss was rough, dominating, and Noah could feel his control slipping, piece by piece. He hated it, hated how easily Elias made him feel like he had no choice, no power. But in that moment, he didn’t care. The kiss was all-consuming, like a fire that burned away everything else.
• Finally, Elias pulled back, his breath ragged as he looked down at Noah. “I told you,” he whispered. “You’re mine.”
• Noah’s chest rose and fell with every breath, his body trembling with the aftermath of the kiss. He wanted to argue, to scream, to break free. But as Elias’s eyes locked onto his, Noah knew deep down
• that he wasn’t the one in control. Not anymore.