Page 23 of Shattered by Grace (The Locke Empire Duet #1)

Chapter Nineteen

V ictoria’s heart hammered as she rushed to the locker room, the adrenaline still buzzing under her skin.

She slammed the door behind her and headed straight for the showers, her thoughts a blur of heat, confusion, and undeniable craving.

Stripping off her clothes, she stepped into the warm spray, letting the water cascade over her like a thin shield, hoping it would somehow cool the fire ignited by Tristan.

The steam filled the room, swirling around her, thickening the air as if the room itself was as suffocating as the ache in her chest.

Her thoughts didn’t obey her commands to calm down.

Focus, Victoria. Focus . This isn’t who you are .

But his eyes, the way they darkened when he pinned her down, how his lips felt when they brushed against hers, how his touch had burned her skin, flashed before her mind, stirring a desire she couldn’t outrun.

She tried to ignore the tightening in her stomach, the heat that pooled low in her belly, but it only intensified.

Her fingers clenched into fists, but her body was already betraying her. She closed her eyes, letting the warm water soothe her tense muscles, but every drop of water seemed to push her closer to the edge. This is reckless , she thought. You can’t do this. Not now. Not with him.

But then she felt a presence behind her. Her body tensed, heart racing. Slowly, she turned. There he was. Tristan. His dark eyes were locked on hers, and the air between them was heavy with something unspoken. What the hell is he doing here?

“Get out,” she breathed, voice barely a whisper, but her hands fumbled to cover herself.

He didn’t answer. Just stepped forward into the spray, clothes still clinging to his body, heavy with water.

His gaze never left hers. She should’ve told him to leave.

Should’ve fought harder. But her body betrayed her.

“You’re not supposed to be in here,” she managed, but the words were weak, useless against the pull of his proximity.

His eyes flickered with something dangerous as his hand slid around her waist, pulling her closer.

She wanted to resist, to break free from this magnetic pull, but the harder she fought, the stronger it became.

Tristan smirked, low and dark. “And yet, here I am.”

His hand traced her arm, sending heat rushing through her.

She gasped, but before she could say another word, his lips crashed against hers, forcing her to stop thinking, to stop fighting.

His kiss was raw, hungry, and it consumed her, pushing all logic out of her mind.

She tried to pull away, but Tristan only pulled her deeper into it, his body pressing against hers in a way that left her breathless.

When he finally pulled back, his lips curved into a taunting smile. “Tell me you don’t want this,” he murmured, voice thick with desire.

She tried to find her voice, but all she could manage was a breathless whisper. “I don’t want you.” Victoria’s body screamed a different answer, but her mind was still reeling.

LIAR!

Tristan chuckled darkly, his hands still on her, as if he’d already won. “Stop lying to yourself. Your body gives you away.” he said, before stepping back, leaving her shaking, exposed, and craving more.

Her heart pounded in her chest as she stood there, trying to piece herself together.

What the fuck just happened?