Chapter 60 – Heat

Margot's POV

His words still hung in the air like smoke—thick, heavy, laced with something that wasn't quite a threat, but wasn't far off from it either.

"For as long as you’re in here, you’re mine entirely. Body included."

I didn’t respond. I couldn’t. I stood there like a fool—half-naked, breath caught somewhere between fear and something much darker. His stare pinned me in place, scorching hotter than any hand ever could.

Then he stepped closer. Too close. I could feel the warmth radiating off him, could see every scar carved across his chest, every hard line of ink that wound up his neck and into his jaw like armor.

His hand came up—slowly, deliberately—until the rough pad of his thumb brushed across my shoulder. A drag. A scrape. A touch that set fire to every inch of skin it passed.

“You’re shivering,” he muttered. “Cold? Or nervous?”

I opened my mouth to speak, but his hands moved before I could answer—trailing up my arms next in one unhurried sweep, rough palms dragging across my goosebumps like he had every intention of memorizing them.

“You always tremble when I’m near, Bella,” he murmured, fingers ghosting over the dip where my neck met my shoulder. “Do I scare you?”

My heart nearly jumped out of my chest. I wanted to lie. I wanted to tell him no, scream it even—but instead I shook my head and whispered, “Only sometimes…”

It was the truth. Maybe the most honest thing I’d said in weeks.

He stilled for a beat. Then I saw it—the subtle twitch of his jaw, the low roll of something primal that settled behind his eyes. And then, of all things, he groaned. A dark, feral sound that made the room feel smaller.

“Fuck,” he hissed, almost like he was scolding himself. “They couldn’t just send me some ugly bitch in here, huh? A girl who doesn’t speak or cause me any stress?”

The words landed like the slap he had given to the mint-green girl back in the cafeteria…

Blunt and direct.

He was annoyed that it was me he had been stuck with. Even when I had thought he was glad at the best of times…

I shrank a little, instinctively curling my arms tighter around my torso. “Well, I’m sorry you got me…”

His eyes snapped back to mine.

“No,” he growled. “You don’t fucking get it. You don’t hear what I’m trying to say. I’m glad it was you… just way more glad than what I’d have liked to be…”

Before I could even process that, his hand slid to my lower back and he began backing us toward the wall. Slow. Steady. Like a wolf guiding his prey to exactly where he wanted it.

“But what do you mean-?” I started to ask, but the words never made it out fully.

Because his mouth was on mine…

The kiss hit like electricity. Fast. Furious. Hot. My brain short-circuited entirely. I didn’t fight it back. I didn’t pull away.

I just kissed him back.

Harder than I should have.

It wasn’t soft or sweet or hesitant like I always imagined my first real kiss would be. There were no fireworks in the sky. No romantic music swelling in the background. There was just Coban—his mouth devouring mine, his hands pulling me into his heat, and that dizzying rush of adrenaline that came with doing something very, very dangerous with him that I knew wasn’t right.

And I liked it.

God, I liked it way more than I would dare to ever admit to him.

My fingers curled into the front of his shirt, gripping him like an anchor. His tongue brushed mine, daring and demanding, and I moaned before I could stop myself. The noise only spurred him on—his hands sliding lower, rough palms dragging down my spine until they landed right at the curve of my ass.

He squeezed.

Hard.

I gasped into his mouth, never having anyone touch me there before.

It was shameless. Bold. Possessive in a way I’d never experienced before, and yet my legs nearly gave out at the feel of it.

His hands were massive—hot and strong and calloused, kneading me like he had every right to. Every part of me buzzed like only electricity lived in my veins now instead of blood.

My sports bra dug into my ribs with each heaving breath I took, my skin practically humming under the pressure of him.

But just as quickly, panic cracked through me.

This wasn’t the plan…

This wasn’t why I came here…

I wasn’t one of them—I wasn’t one of the girls who practically begged to be touched by these men.

I didn’t want to be another prison hookup experiment.

Another body to be disregarded tomorrow.

I didn’t even know what I was doing.

I shoved at his chest—gently at first, then harder until our mouths finally broke apart.

Coban looked like a man possessed. His lips were swollen, his breathing ragged. His dark eyes bore into me like I’d just stolen something from him.

“What’s wrong?” he demanded, voice low and threatening.

“I didn’t mean for this…” I started, stumbling over my words, “I didn’t plan the whole sports bra thing—I didn’t do that on purpose to get a reaction, Coban. I’m not like the other girls who came here looking for… for that.”

I swallowed hard, my breath still unsteady. “I came here for the money. That’s all. I didn’t expect this…”

I wasn’t even sure what this was. Attraction? Possession? Some fucked-up form of protection?

But before I could unravel my thoughts, he crashed into me again, ignoring me, this time harder.

Fiercer.

The second kiss was molten. Less controlled. Like he had something to prove now. His hand threaded into my hair, tilting my head just how he wanted it.

My knees nearly buckled.

And I moaned again for him.

I moaned into his mouth like a girl who’d never been kissed before. Which, technically, was very much true.

He growled at the sound, deep and guttural, like he wanted to devour me whole. His hand trailed down the back of my thigh now, lifting me slightly, like he was seconds away from pinning me to the wall if I didn’t stop him.

But I didn’t stop him.

I matched his energy, chasing his mouth like I’d never have this chance again. His fingers dug into my ass, pulling me flush against the wall—against him—and suddenly I could feel everything.

The strength. The hunger. The barely restrained fire burning beneath his skin.

I didn’t want to think about what it meant. Not right now.

Not when I could feel myself melting for a man I’d sworn to fear.

Not when I knew damn well that if this went any further I’d never be able to come back from it.

But for now…

I let him kiss me like I was already his.

Because maybe, in some messed-up way…

For the time being….

I was.