Taken Until I Can't Speak (Choked)

Talia had always thought she understood temptation. She'd lived in cities full of beautiful strangers, worked alongside smooth talkers, and even dated men who knew how to make her laugh and blush in the same breath. But none of them made her feel like Stefan did. It wasn't just his sharp jawline or the way his broad shoulders seemed made for leaning against — it was the way he looked at her, like he could read every thought she tried to hide. That first night, she swore he could feel her heartbeat from across the room. He was dangerous in the way a velvet rope is — soft to the touch, but impossible to cross without consequences. And she… she was already tangled in him before she even knew his last name.