NOVPUBLilith might have been a devil—cold, ruthless, deadly—but sitting there on Liam's lap, her body pressed close to his, her lips molded against his, she didn't seem like a creature of cruelty.
She seemed like temptation incarnate.
Stunning. Seductive. Unreachable—yet right here, burning against him.
Her silky blonde hair fell around them like a veil, carrying her unique, intoxicating scent—something faintly floral but sharp, dangerous, just like her.
It made Liam's mind spin.
It made his body move instinctively, without thought.
He tightened his arms around her waist, pulling her in closer against him.
And when he did—Lilith responded.
Her delicate hand slid up from his chest, threading into his dark hair, gripping it tightly as she kissed him back with a matching fire, her lips moving hungrily against his.
It wasn't a kiss between allies.
It wasn't even a kiss between fake lovers trying to fool an enemy.
It was real.
Raw.
Unstoppable.
Lilith's fingers curled tighter in his hair, her body pressing even closer as if she couldn't bear even a sliver of space between them. The tension that had built up between them for weeks, the electric, dangerous chemistry they both tried so hard to ignore—it was all snapping loose now, like chains breaking.
And across the street—
The man in the neighboring building lowered his binoculars slowly, an unreadable expression on his shadowed face.
Reaching into the pocket of his black tactical vest, he pulled out a sleek phone and dialed a number.
A low, gravelly voice answered after just one ring.
There was no greeting, no unnecessary words.
"It's exactly as reported," the watcher said in a flat voice. "Lilith and Liam are exactly as they say they are. There's no falsification."
A low hum vibrated through the speaker—an old man's voice, thoughtful, almost amused.
"Withdraw," the old man ordered simply.
Without another word, the watcher ended the call.
Then—he did something no normal human would have done.
He stepped onto the ledge of the skyscraper—casually, like stepping off a sidewalk—
And he jumped.
No parachute.
No hesitation.
Nothing.
The night swallowed him instantly as he plunged downward—
But halfway down, the darkness around him seemed to ripple.
From his back, two massive black wings exploded outward with a sound like tearing silk.
Feathers blacker than midnight caught the air, and in a single, powerful beat, the man shot back upward, vanishing into the clouds, swallowed by the endless night.
Back inside Lilith's penthouse—
Liam finally opened his eyes slightly, catching the now-empty space where the watcher had once been.
Gone.
Lilith broke the kiss with a small, shaky breath, pulling back just enough to breathe but not enough to escape the tight circle of Liam's arms.
A rare expression of genuine relief flickered across her stunning face.
The tension in her body lessened just slightly—but she didn't move away.
She looked devastating.
Golden hair falling messily over one shoulder, lips slightly swollen from the kiss, cheeks tinged with a faint pink flush, eyes still heavy with restrained desire.
And Liam realized—
Right now, he had the chance to let her go.
To back away.
To pretend none of this happened.
To be "smart."
But he wasn't stupid.
And he wasn't a fool.
Lilith wasn't just some beautiful woman.
She was Lilith.
The woman who ruled entire criminal underworlds with a smile sharper than any blade.
The woman who had unknowingly captivated a part of him he didn't even know could be touched.
No.
He wasn't letting her go.
Lilith shifted slightly, about to stand up, ready to brush it all off with her usual cold, teasing smirk—pretend it meant nothing.
But Liam's hand was still firm around her waist.
And before she could even rise—
Liam leaned in again.
He captured her lips in another kiss—this one far more aggressive, more raw, more desperate.
Not the calculated kiss of earlier.
This was hunger.
Possession.
Lilith's golden eyes fluttered wide in surprise for a split second—then slowly closed as she melted into him without protest.
Their bodies pressed together even tighter, no space between them now, just heat and pounding heartbeats.
Lilith's hand slid back into his hair, fisting it tightly, yanking him even closer as if punishing him for daring to kiss her like that—but she kissed him back just as fiercely.
Liam's free hand slid down from her back, slipping beneath the hem of her blouse.
His fingers found the bare skin of her waist—warm, smooth, electric to his touch.
Lilith gasped softly against his mouth, a tiny sound of surprise—and surrender.
Her breath hitched.
Her whole body shivered subtly against him.
And then—
She gave up whatever little resistance she still held.
With a frustrated, hungry growl deep in her throat, she attacked his shirt buttons aggressively, her slender fingers moving fast, almost tearing them open one by one as she kissed him harder, her nails occasionally scraping lightly against his skin.
Liam let her.
All that mattered was her.
Her taste.
Her warmth.
The wild, reckless way she was kissing him like she didn't care about consequences anymore.
In that moment—
Lilith wasn't the queen of the underworld.
She wasn't the feared, untouchable boss everyone whispered about in fear.
She was just a woman.
A woman burning in his arms, just as lost in the fire as he was.
Lilith finally got rid of Liam's shirt completely, tossing it somewhere across the room without even looking.
For a moment, she just stayed there, her hand resting flat against his bare chest, her golden eyes staring at him almost like she was trying to memorize him.
Her touch was light, almost hesitant at first, like she couldn't believe what she was seeing.
Liam smirked slightly, leaning back a little to meet her eyes.
"Why are you acting like you've never done this before?" he teased, his voice low, playful.
Without hesitation, Lilith hit his thigh with the side of her fist—not hard, but enough to get his attention.
"I've never done this before, idiot," she said, her voice snapping at him with a glare.
Liam's smirk faded for a second, his eyes widening slightly.
She wasn't joking.
Lilith—the Lilith who could terrify grown men with a glance—had never been with a man before.
He didn't have much time to think about it though, because the next moment he reached behind her, his hands moving carefully to the back of her shirt.
One by one, he untied the ropes holding it together, his fingers slow and deliberate, his blue eyes locked on hers the entire time.
There was something about the way she stared at him back—unblinking, almost daring him—that made his blood rush even hotter.
The moment the last rope came undone, he didn't give her time to overthink it.
He grabbed the back of her head gently, pulling her in for another kiss—soft at first but growing deeper by the second—as he slid her shirt off her body.
He was careful, moving slowly around her injured arm so he wouldn't hurt her.
He could feel her breath hitch slightly when the fabric left her skin, exposing her even more to him.
Now, the only thing that stood between them was her bra.
Their bare chests pressed together—and it was electric.
Lilith's skin against his was a sensation he would never forget—silky smooth, impossibly warm, and so soft it made his heart pound harder in his chest.
Her scent was even stronger now—a devastating combination of something sweet and wild, something that made Liam's head spin and his body crave more.
Lilith's breathing was uneven, her hands still resting lightly on his shoulders as if she was trying to hold herself back.
But Liam wasn't going to hold anything back anymore.
His fingers moved behind her, finding the clasp of her bra with ease.
With a quick, practiced flick, he unhooked it—and it fell away from her body, sliding down her arms before joining the pile of discarded clothes on the floor.
And then she was in front of him—bare, vulnerable, breathtaking.
Her breasts were perfect—not too small, not too large—full enough to fit perfectly in his hands.
They were beautifully shaped, firm and inviting, her skin flawless, like the rest of her, with soft pink tips that tightened almost instantly in the cool air.
Liam's breath caught in his throat.
Lilith was a masterpiece—and somehow she was his to touch, to hold, to kiss.
He let his hands slide slowly up her sides, savoring the feel of her curves, before he cupped her breasts gently, thumbing over her hardened nipples, drawing a soft, broken sound from her lips that made his entire body throb.
Lilith closed her eyes for a moment, tilting her head back slightly, giving herself over to the feeling.
Liam couldn't help but lean down, his mouth finding the delicate skin of her neck, trailing lower, tasting her as he went.
He could feel her heart pounding wildly against his lips, could hear the sharp intake of her breath when he kissed the swell of her breast.
Everything about her was pure fire—and he wanted to drown in it.
