Excerpt from Beneath the Velvet Sky

The hidden beach stretched out before them, a secluded paradise washed in the amber glow of the setting sun. Elysia barely registered the roughness of the sand beneath her bare feet as Rafael's hand gripped her waist, pulling her close. She felt his gaze, dark and unyielding, locking her in place with an intensity that sent a thrill of defiance through her.

"You think you can keep resisting me, Elysia?" His voice was low, a dangerous whisper that matched the fierce hunger in his eyes.

She swallowed, her heart racing as she struggled to keep her voice steady. "I don't need to resist. You're the one who keeps pushing," she managed, though her breath hitched as his hand slid up her spine, fingers lingering just below her neck.

With a firm touch, Rafael guided her down onto the warm sand, his grip both demanding and careful. She wanted to pull away, to challenge him, but the need building inside her was undeniable. His hand came down in a firm, unrelenting rhythm, the shock of each smack sparking a heat that left her breathless, trembling as her resistance dissolved in waves of sensation.

"You hate it, don't you?" he murmured, leaning close, his breath hot against her skin as he traced the edge of her jaw with his lips. "How much you want this."

Despite her best efforts, Elysia's defenses crumbled. Her fingers clutched at the sand, her body arching instinctively as his hand slid lower, exploring, demanding, until her world was reduced to the sensation of him against her, inside her, until nothing else mattered.

As the waves crashed along the shore, her cries were lost in the symphony of the ocean and the relentless rhythm of Rafael's control-a force she had fought, but could no longer deny.