Chapter 153

The world outside of this singular, suffocating point of contact ceases to exist.

There is no roar of the crowd, no smell of stale beer, and no metallic tang of blood in the air. There is only the crushing pressure of Eli’s mouth against mine and the frantic, heavy thud of his heart echoing against my own chest.

His hands are massive and hot, anchoring me to him as if he expects the floor to vanish beneath us at any second. It is a messy, desperate thing, fueled by the adrenaline of the ring and the sheer terror of almost losing him to a man twice his size. I can taste the copper of the blood on his lip, but I don’t pull away. I lean into it, my fingers tangling in the hair at the nape of his neck, pulling him closer until there isn’t a single inch of air left between our bodies.

​When he finally breaks the kiss, he rests his forehead against mine and we’re both breathing hard.

“Damn,” I whisper breathlessly. “I just might consider sneaking out of the hous