Damon’s tired smile didn’t disappear. On the contrary, it grew brighter, more insolent, as if he’d just discovered a new way to torture Ester.

“Hmm… I’m not going to stop just because you looked shocked,” he murmured, his voice low, husky, and full of malice.

Before she could react, he pressed his lips against hers again, deeper, more intense. The kiss was different from the first: there was not just boldness, but insistence. His tongue touched hers, teasing, asking for space, and at the same time, taking it.

Ester tried to pull back, tried to protest, but Damon’s hands slid down her bare back, weak but firm enough to pull her even closer. Her body trembled, not just from the cold, but from the searing heat it aroused.

“D-Damon…!” she gasped between one kiss and the next, her voice cracking with anger and shame.

He smiled against her mouth, not flinching even a bit. “I’ll only stop… when you ask.” His hot, uneven breath mingled with hers, each word brushing against her lips. “Then… ask, Ester.”

Her heart raced. Her legs tensed, and the blush was already spreading not only across her face, but throughout her body. Her rational part screamed to push him away, to freeze him right there and put an end to this nonsense.

But her body… her body wouldn’t move.

Each kiss was like a spark against the ice she’d been so proud to carry. Each provocation, each touch, melted a little more of the wall she’d erected between them.

She tried to open her mouth to respond, but he took advantage, invading her more boldly, stealing her breath and her control.

Damon’s fingers trembled as they gripped the back of her neck, but even weak, they held a determination that made her shiver.

“Come on, Ester…” he whispered against her lips, his voice almost broken, but intense. “Tell me to stop… if that’s what you want.”

She closed her eyes tightly, feeling his breath mingle with hers, her heart nearly tearing from her chest.

But the word wouldn’t come.

There was no “stop.”

Not yet.

The fire crackled low, casting shadows on the cave walls. But the heat that burned most wasn’t his. It came from Damon’s body, pressed against Ester’s, from the kisses he didn’t break, from the boldness she couldn’t stop.

Every time she tried to draw in air, he stole it again, his lips pressing against hers as if he’d decided the whole world was about this exchange. His hands, once so weak, now gained strength, exploring slowly—her back, the curve of her waist, the shiver he found in every curve.

Ester gasped against his mouth, her fingers digging into his shoulders as if she wanted to push him away. But she didn’t. Her body arched against his instinctively, seeking the warmth that had once been just survival… and was now something far more dangerous.

“Damon…” she whispered, almost voiceless.

He didn’t pull away. His lips slid from her mouth to her jaw, then along the delicate line of her neck. His hot breath brushed her bare skin, eliciting an involuntary shiver from her. He bit lightly where her neck met her shoulder, and the husky laugh he released seemed designed to drive her mad.

“You didn’t say ‘stop’…” he murmured, his voice thick with malice.

Ester squeezed her eyes shut, trying to control her breathing. Her blush burned every inch of her skin, and her heartbeat was so loud it rivaled the howl of the storm outside.

He held her tighter, pressing her against him in a way that made it clear there was no more space between them. Every movement, every touch, was an intimate reminder of how close they were.

“You’re hot…” he whispered in her ear, letting his lips brush her earlobe before biting it lightly. “Hotter than any bonfire.”

Ester shivered, her hand instinctively rising to his chest, as if trying to contain him. But her voice trembled, betraying her:

“You… bastard…”

Damon chuckled softly, a deep sound that vibrated against her skin. “If that’s an insult… it’s not working.”

He kissed her again, slow, lingering, as if he had all the time in the world. As if he were willing to test her every limit until there was no longer any icy barrier left to hide behind.

His lips never left hers. The kiss, stolen at first, grew stronger and deeper. Ester tried to maintain control, as she always did, but the heat rising in her body seemed to betray every order she gave herself. Her breath quickened against his mouth, and when Damon tugged lightly at her lower lip with his teeth, a shiver ran down her spine.

“Damon…” she murmured into the kiss, her voice cracking, as if she wanted to protest but couldn’t find the conviction.

He smiled against her mouth, his hand sliding to the back of her neck to keep her from escaping. “I warned you… I’ll only stop when you ask me to.”

Ester clenched her fists against his chest, as if still searching for the strength to push him away. But instead, her fingers unclenched, giving in, gripping the hot skin that now burned beneath her hands.

The kiss deepened. Damon pulled her closer, her body pressed against his with no room to retreat. The chill that had once seemed to devour him was now replaced by a new heat, born of their contact, their closeness, their mingled breaths.

When his mouth left hers, it wasn’t to give her a break. His lips slid down her jaw, down her neck, until they found the sensitive spot just below her ear. He bit her earlobe lightly, eliciting a shaky sigh from her.

“D-Damon…” Her voice wavered, weaker than she’d intended.

“I like hearing you like this…” he whispered hoarsely, his low voice vibrating against her skin. “You pretend so much to be pure ice… but I know you burn.”

His hands moved slowly down her back, exploring every curve, every shiver he provoked. Ester, despite the shame that gripped her, couldn’t push him away. On the contrary, her body reacted, as if she’d expected that touch more than she cared to admit.

She tried to compose herself, her breathing ragged. “That… that’s just to keep you warm.” The apology came out shaky, lacking its usual firmness.

Damon chuckled softly against her neck, the sound deep and teasing. “Then don’t stop… because I’m still cold.”

He pulled her even closer, his chest pressed against hers, his movements slow and calculated, every gesture laden with malice. Ester felt the heat of fire mingling with his, but it was a different kind of flame that consumed her now.

His lips met hers again, and Damon gave her no room to think—only to feel. The kiss was demanding, hungry, and each time she gasped for air, he found another spot on her skin to explore: the curve of her neck, the line of her shoulder, the contour of her collarbone.

Ester closed her eyes, lost between anger, shame, and a desire she didn’t want to acknowledge. Her fingers, almost without realizing it, slid through his hair, pulling him closer.

“I should… I should hate you for this…” she whispered, but her voice sounded like surrender.

Damon lifted his face, his eyes half-closed, his breathing heavy. The crooked smile was still there, but there was something deeper in his gaze, something that melted any resistance she had.

“Then hate me tomorrow.” His voice was low, husky. “Today… just feel it.”

[Touch of Asmodeus reached Level 2]

[Main Quest Progress reached 100%]

[The quest “Break the Ice” has updated to… “Melt the Ice”]

[Melt the Ice: Fuck Ester Deathstriker]

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep