“I spent six days in a smelly cell, surviving on the same soup ration every day,” I began, my face twisting into a faint frown. “And then, just recently, I almost got violated—and what did I do to deserve this? I looked into a case to help an innocent girl.” I let the words sink in. “Does any of that sound normal to you?”
He hesitated for a moment. “You missed the part where someone saved you.”
“Well, I wouldn’t have needed saving if said person hadn’t kidnapped me in the first place.”
Again, silence.
He held my gaze, that pesky little smirk still tugging at the corners of his mouth.
My throat went dry, my eyes constantly flicking toward the span of his broad shoulders and chiseled abs. I locked my jaw when he took another forward, leaving barely a breath of space between us.
I swallowed hard, my pulse racing as I wondered what he was up to. He traced my gaze to his torso and continued marching toward me while I took slow, backward steps.
“Can’t tear your eyes away, can you?” he teased, his low tone laced with sheer arrogance and mockery.
“Oh, please.” I rolled my eyes as though I was unaffected by his bare skin.
He flashed me that cocky grin again. “You’re shaking.”
“No, I’m not.”
He refused to break eye contact.
My back hit the wall behind me, and a soft moan fell off my lips. I tried to look away—tried to mask the sensation coursing through my body. But that intense gaze of his held me in place.
To fill the awkward silence, I whispered, “You shouldn’t be walking around half-naked if you don’t want people staring.”
“So you admit you were staring at me,” he said.
I clenched my teeth. “You’re covered in scars that piqued my curiosity. Sue me.”
He let out a quiet chuckle, his gaze unwavering. The longer he looked into my eyes, the more vulnerable I felt inside. He was so close to me that I could feel his fresh breath against my skin. Warm and enticing.
My body trembled in shock when he ran his fingers along my arm, as if pushing my boundaries. I should knock his hand off and shove him away. But I didn’t. I couldn’t. How could I when his touch had ignited a flame within me?
He leaned in closer than before, his lips barely inches from mine. At this point, my heart was hammering so loudly that I could almost swear he heard it.
A cold shiver ran down my spine from just holding his gaze for so long. My pulse raced in anticipation, my knees too weak to support my weight.
If he reached out to kiss me right now, would I be able to resist? Did I have the willpower to say no?
That uncertainty gnawed at me, leaving me confused and frustrated at once.
Then I heard it, the same sound that had woken me earlier. A loud thud downstairs. A door slammed somewhere on the floor below, accompanied by footsteps approaching and echoing up the staircase.
Then a voice cut through the hallway. “Boss….”
Nial’s expression darkened ever so slightly, displeased by the interruption.
“We need you downstairs.”
He didn’t leave immediately. No. Instead, he held my gaze a little longer, as if savoring the mix of fear and relief on my face.
Without a word, he straightened, turned around, and walked away.
It wasn’t until after he’d disappeared out of sight that I realized I’d been holding my breath ever since. I let out a deep sigh, a hand on my chest as my heart pounded nonstop.
The noise downstairs grew louder by the second, making me wonder what exactly was going on.
