Chapter 6: Dangerous Proximity

Sienna’s POV

I bolted upright in bed, heart slamming against my ribs. The clock on the nightstand glowed 3:07 AM. A shadow still stretched across the floor under my door.

He hadn’t left.

I grabbed my robe, tied it tight, and marched over.

When I yanked the door open, Nova stood there exactly like I’d pictured in my restless thoughts — shirtless, sweatpants riding low, chest rising and falling like he’d run a mile.

His green eyes burned in the dim hallway light.

“What the hell are you doing?” I hissed.

Nova didn’t smile. Not at first. He just stared at me, jaw tight, like he was fighting some war inside his own head.

“Couldn’t sleep, Detective. Every time I closed my eyes, I kept hearing that little moan you made when I kissed you.”

Heat flooded my face. “Go back to your room, Kane. Now.”

He stepped forward before I could close the door.

His hand shot out, palm flat against the wood, stopping it easily. “Make me.”

I pushed harder, but he was solid muscle and pure stubbornness. In one smooth motion, he slipped inside my bedroom and shut the door behind him with a soft click.

The room suddenly felt too small. Too hot. Just him, me, and the king-sized bed I’d been tossing and turning in.

“Get out,” I ordered, backing up.

Nova followed, slow and deliberate, until the back of my legs hit the mattress.

He stopped inches away — close enough that I could feel the heat rolling off his skin, but he didn’t touch me.

Not yet.

“You moaned, Sienna,” he said, voice low and raspy. “Right into my mouth. Soft and needy, like you’d been dying for it. Don’t lie to me. Don’t lie to yourself.”

“I was angry,” I shot back. “It was a mistake.”

“A mistake that’s got me rock hard at three in the morning.” His eyes dropped to my lips, then lower, tracing the edge of my robe.

“I stood outside that door for an hour imagining all the ways I could break you open. Wondering how wet you got when you pushed me away. How tight you’d feel around my fingers. My tongue. My cock.”

My breath hitched. I hated how my body reacted to every filthy word. “You’re crossing the line. This is my room. My space.”

“Yeah?” He leaned in slightly, breath brushing my ear without making contact.

“Then why aren’t you screaming for me to leave? Why’s your pulse jumping in your throat like that?”

I swallowed hard. “Because I’m trying to do my job. Because you’re a reckless asshole who’ll ruin my career if I let you.”

Nova’s eyes darkened. “You think I don’t know what this is? I’ve had women throw themselves at me for years. But you… fuck, Sienna. One kiss and I lost control like some horny teenager. No one’s ever done that to me before. Not once.”

The raw honesty in his voice caught me off guard. For a split second, the cocky rockstar disappeared and I saw something real — exhaustion, frustration, genuine confusion.

“You’re dangerous,” I whispered.

“I know.” His voice dropped even lower. “But so are you. Standing here in that tiny robe, nipples hard, fighting how bad you want me to bend you over this bed and fuck the attitude right out of you. I’d start slow, tease that pretty pussy until you’re begging. Then I’d give it to you deep and rough, just like you need.”

“Stop,” I breathed, but my voice cracked.

He smirked, still not touching me. “Tell me to leave again and I will. But we both know you don’t really want that.”

I opened my mouth, but no words came. The air between us crackled. My thighs pressed together on instinct, trying to ease the growing ache.

Then my phone rang on the nightstand.

The shrill sound sliced through the tension. Captain Reyes’ name flashed on the screen.

“Shit,” I muttered, lunging for it. Nova didn’t move. I answered on the second ring, trying to sound normal. “Captain. It’s late — is everything okay?”

Reyes’ voice came through clear. “Just doing a surprise welfare check. How’s our rockstar behaving? Any problems I should know about?”

Nova’s eyes gleamed with wicked amusement. Before I could stop him, he dropped smoothly to his knees right in front of me.

His large hands settled on my bare thighs, thumbs stroking slow circles just under the hem of my robe.

My breath caught. I tried to step back, but the bed blocked me.

“Everything’s… fine,” I said, voice strained. “He’s been… manageable.”

Nova looked up at me, green eyes full of challenge.

He pressed a soft, open-mouthed kiss to the inside of my thigh, then whispered against my skin, “I’ll be quiet, Detective… if you can.”

His hands slid higher, pushing my robe apart. Hot breath teased closer to where I was already throbbing.

Reyes kept talking. “Good. Stay sharp, Vale. This case could get messy. Call me if he gives you any trouble.”

Nova’s tongue traced a slow line up my other thigh. I bit my lip hard to keep from gasping.

“Yes, sir,” I forced out. “I’ve got it under control.”

But as Nova’s fingers gripped my thighs tighter and his mouth hovered dangerously close, I knew one thing for certain.

I had nothing under control.

To Be Continued…