Author's Note:

To truly feel the atmosphere of this chapter, I recommend playing two songs while reading:

1. "Moonstruck" by ENHYPEN - Let this be the soft, dreamlike soundtrack to the moonlit dance, capturing the surreal tension and closeness between Aria and Isaiah.

2. "Señorita" by Shawn Mendes & Camila Cabello - This one's for the heat, the flirtation, the push-and-pull of two enemies swaying too close for comfort.

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The world around me blurred into shadows and moonlight, the air thick with a silence that screamed louder than any sound. Isaiah's voice broke through the quiet, soft and near-dangerously near.

"Forget about being enemies," he murmured, his lips brushing against the shell of my ear. "Forget about being a spy. Forget about everything except me and you, right here, right now."

His hand rose, fingers gentle as they cupped my cheek, and I froze beneath the weight of his gaze. There was something raw in the way he looked at me, something that made the air feel too heavy to breathe. My thoughts were a mess-tangled between what I was supposed to do and what, deep down, I wanted to feel.

He stepped closer, our bodies now flush, and I could feel the rapid thrum of my own heartbeat crashing against my ribs like a warning bell I was desperately trying to ignore.

"Just let yourself go," he whispered again, voice like velvet, soft yet insistent. "Let go of all the doubts and the worries. Just for tonight. Just for this one moment."

He spun me slowly, his hands gripping my waist with a kind of firm tenderness that made it hard to tell if I wanted to run or stay. There was something possessive in the way he held me-like I belonged there, like he didn't want to let go.

"Just for tonight, let yourself...be mine," he breathed, his lips grazing the sensitive curve of my earlobe. His breath, warm against my skin, sent shivers dancing down my spine. It was magnetic-the way he drew me in, as if I was caught in his orbit and the rest of the world had simply disappeared.

"But-"

He silenced me with a finger pressed gently to my lips.

"No more 'buts,'" he said, firmer now. "Stop overthinking."

My pulse spiked as he pulled me closer, the heat of him seeping through the thin fabric between us. His arms wrapped around me like a shield, steady and unyielding. I could feel the rhythm of his heart, racing fast and loud beneath his chest. It echoed mine.

"Let go," he urged again, his voice low, almost coaxing. "Let go of all the reasons why this shouldn't be happening. Just focus on how perfectly you fit in my arms."

He spun me again-faster this time-and pulled me back with even more force, our bodies colliding gently, yet deliberately. Every inch of him was pressed against me, and I felt every movement, every breath. It was overwhelming-his presence, his scent, the husky tone of his voice.

"Just feel," he whispered into my ear. "The way we move together. The heat between us. The electricity-can't you feel it?"

His voice melted into the shadows, smooth and hypnotic. I could barely think, my mind fogged by the intensity of it all.

"Just focus on me," he said again, and this time, he lifted me slightly off the ground by my waist.

"Woaaa-"

I gasped, instinctively grabbing onto his shoulder for support.

He laughed, a low and amused sound, clearly pleased with my startled reaction.

"Don't worry, I won't drop you," he said confidently, his arms solid beneath me.

He continued to dance with ease, guiding me through the moonlit room like he'd rehearsed this a thousand times. His steps were graceful, fluid, almost theatrical-yet it was real. So painfully real.

The moonlight cast silver shadows across his face, catching the sharp lines of his jaw and the softness in his eyes. It felt like we were trapped in a dream suspended between the stars and the floor.

He twirled me once more, and when I landed in his arms, our chests pressed together. I was still partly off the ground, my balance dependent entirely on his strength. I clutched his shoulder tighter, trying to steady myself.

He smirked.

"I won't let you fall," he promised, his voice a whisper that slid beneath my skin.

His movements were perfect, measured-yet carried an undercurrent of passion I hadn't expected. He was a storm in human form, fierce yet composed, and somehow I was right in the eye of it.

"You're a natural at this," he said suddenly, softer now. "Dancing in the moonlight, in my arms. It's like you were made for it."

I said nothing, my lips too heavy to form words. The confession settled like static in the air between us.

He chuckled. "You don't believe me? Can't you feel it? The way we move together, like two pieces of the same rhythm."

I sighed, finally finding my voice. "This doesn't feel right... this isn't right at all..."

His face hovered close to mine again, our noses nearly brushing.

"Why not?" he asked gently.

He spun me again, holding me tightly when I landed back in his arms. My heart leapt. His voice was lower now, rougher.

"Let yourself feel," he urged. "Forget everything. Just this-just you and me."

Then suddenly, I was weightless again.

He lifted me effortlessly with one arm, twirling me around as if I weighed nothing. I gasped, breath catching in my throat.

He laughed again-quiet and amused.

"I've got you," he whispered. "Don't be scared. Just focus on me."

I clung to him as the world spun, as reality unraveled and all that remained was the way his arms felt around me. We moved like we were suspended in time.

"Can't you feel it?" he said again, his voice quieter, gentler. "How right this feels? Like we were meant for this...meant to be in each other's arms."

He pulled me in, our bodies molded together, his grip tightening like he didn't want this to end.

"Don't think. Just focus on the way I hold you, the way your body fits mine," he murmured, each word a tender command.

Then his hand found my chin, tilting my face up. I was forced to meet his gaze.

His eyes locked onto mine, intense and searching. It was like he was reading every thought I tried to hide.

He leaned in, our foreheads nearly touching.

"Let go," he whispered again. "Let yourself get lost in this. In me."

I couldn't find the words. My voice barely managed a whisper. "This... this is..."

He smiled faintly, brushing his thumb against my cheek.

"This is what?" he coaxed gently.

"This is... forbidden," I murmured, finally letting the truth slip past my lips. "This whole scenario... you know that."

His expression didn't falter. In fact, something flickered in his eyes-something fierce, almost exhilarated.

"Forbidden?" he echoed. "Maybe. But sometimes, the most beautiful things are the ones we're not supposed to have. That thrill, that danger-that's what makes it intoxicating."

He drew me closer, like he wanted to erase the very idea of space between us. His hand was still on my chin, holding me in place, his gaze holding mine just as firmly.

And in that moment, wrapped in his arms, spinning through silver-lit shadows-I wasn't sure what scared me more.

The danger...

Or how deep inside I desperately didn't want to let go.

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You made it to the end of Chapter 3 -yay!

What did you think? Spicy enough? Suspicious enough?

Drop your thoughts, scream in the comments, or just say hi. I'd love to hear from you!

-Your slightly chaotic author

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