Chapter 16

Selena exhaled slowly, still straddling Von's lap, her palms resting against his bare chest. The shade page drama lingered in the back of her mind, but with the way Von was looking at her—dark eyes hooded, jaw tight, hands gripping her thighs like he was fighting the urge to flip her over and take control—none of that mattered.

Right now, it was just them.

Her fingers traced the ink on his skin, nails lightly scraping over his abs before she leaned in, her lips hovering near his ear. "You don't seem too worried about it."

Von smirked slightly. "'Cause I'm not."

Selena hummed, kissing just below his ear, letting her lips drag down the side of his neck. She felt his muscles tense under her touch, his fingers tightening on her waist.

"I should be mad at you," she whispered, letting her lips brush against his collarbone.

Von exhaled sharply. "For what?"

"For getting me caught up in your mess."

Von's grip on her hips tightened as he chuckled lowly. "Nah, you got yourself caught up."

Selena pulled back slightly, eyes locking with his. "Did I?"

Von didn't answer, just stared at her, heat simmering beneath his gaze.

Selena smirked, biting her bottom lip before slowly sliding off his lap, easing down between his legs.

Von leaned back against the headboard, watching her every move, his expression unreadable but his breathing just a little deeper.

Selena ran her hands along his thighs, nails dragging lightly over his skin before tugging at the waistband of his sweats. She could already feel how hard he was, the thick outline pressing against the fabric, waiting for her.

She looked up at him, her eyes gleaming with mischief. "Still not worried?"

Von exhaled through his nose, gripping the sheets as he lifted his hips slightly, letting her pull his sweats down just enough.

His response was low, gravelly—full of heat.

"Nah. But you 'bout to be."

The afternoon sun spilled through the blinds, casting warm streaks of light across the room. The tension from earlier had faded, but the heat between them lingered, thick and undeniable.

Selena lay stretched across Von's bed, wearing nothing but one of his oversized tees. Her body still hummed from the way he'd had her that morning—his hands gripping, his deep voice in her ear, the way he made her forget everything outside of this room.

Von stood near the dresser, rolling a blunt with slow precision. He was back in his sweats, shirtless, tattoos flexing with every movement. He hadn't said much since they left the bed, but she knew he was thinking.

He always was.

Selena propped herself up on her elbow, watching him. "You gon' be quiet all day?"

Von glanced at her, his expression unreadable. "Ain't nothing to talk about."

She rolled her eyes. "Right. 'Cause waking up on a damn shade page is normal."

Von smirked slightly, licking the blunt before sealing it. "For me, yeah."

Selena huffed, falling back against the pillows. "Well, I'm not used to it."

Von lit the blunt, inhaling deep before passing it to her. "You will be."

She took a slow hit, exhaling through her nose. "And what if I don't wanna be?"

Von's eyes flickered over her, something dark simmering beneath the surface. He walked over, taking the blunt from her fingers before leaning down, caging her in with his arms. His lips brushed against her ear, his voice low and smooth.

"Then you shouldn't have let me touch you."

Selena's breath hitched.

Von pulled back just enough to look her in the eyes, his gaze unreadable but intense. "You knew what it was when you followed me out that club."

She swallowed, her pulse quickening. He wasn't wrong. She knew exactly what she was doing. She just wasn't prepared for how quickly things were moving, for how deep she was already in.

She exhaled slowly. "What about your ex?"

Von's jaw ticked. He sat back, leaning against the headboard, taking another pull from the blunt before passing it back. "What about her?"

Selena narrowed her eyes. "She still around?"

Von exhaled smoke, his expression blank. "Not in the way you think."

Selena studied him, trying to read between the lines. "She gon' be a problem?"

Von chuckled, shaking his head. "Nah. But she gon' try."

Selena sighed, already knowing what that meant. The drama was only getting started.