The sun in Santorini burns. We’re tucked away in a cove with volcanic black sand that shimmers like crushed diamonds. Cassian stands near the water’s edge, his t-shirt clinging to the sweat-slicked muscles of his back.

"I’m melting, Cassian. Five minutes. Please." I shed my sundress, standing in a white bikini. I hear his breath hitch. I wade into the Aegean, but when I surface, Cassian is there, waded in up to his waist, his eyes fixed on me with a ferocity that makes the cold water feel like it’s boiling.

"Out. Now," he growls.

"I think you’re terrified, Cassian. Not of the men chasing us. You’re terrified of this." I reach up, tracing the scar on his jaw.

"If I touch you... I lose the edge. And if I lose the edge, you die."

"Then let me be the one to break you," I whisper.

The kiss is an explosion. It tastes of salt, heat, and years of suppressed longing. He lifts me out of the water, my legs wrapping around his waist. He lays me back onto the black shore, his body shielding mine. "If they kill me today, Lyra," he gasps, "know that this was worth it." But as his lips find my throat, I see a flash of metal on the cliffs above. A lens. We aren't alone.

🔭 A flash of metal on the cliffs... is it paparazzi, or a sniper locking onto their position? 🎯 Tell us your worst fears for Lyra and Cassian in the comments! 👇 Hit ❤️ if that beach kiss was worth the risk, and share this cliffhanger with your suspense-loving friends! 🏖️🔥 #RomanticAudioClub