DERRICK POV
We locked eyes, and the world narrowed until there was nothing but him and me. The forest seemed to hush—the pines swayed as if even the trees were holding their breath, and the lake beside the sand gleamed cold and silver, reflecting the moon like a blade. My tattered shirt clung to my chest, soaked with sweat and sand, and for a split second, I saw him, bare and flawless, each muscle coiled and ready. Every inch of Damien was a challenge, every glare a provocation, and my pulse thudded against my ribs like a war drum.
‘Breathe, Derrick. See him. Feel him, but don’t lose yourself. I’ve got you,’ Dalton’s voice pulsed in my mind, a steady heartbeat I could lean into, grounding me when my own thunder threatened to drown my thoughts.
‘Every move you make, I’m with you. Focus o
