Excerpts~
His hand slams against the wall beside my head, caging me in.
I don't flinch. I refuse to. Even as his breath ghosts over my skin, even as the knife in his free hand twirls between his fingers with dangerous ease.
"You should be afraid of me," he murmurs, his voice silk over steel.
I tilt her chin up, defiant. "And yet, here I am."
His lips curl—not quite a smile, more like a predator amused by its prey. The blade slows, still spinning between his fingers, the edge gleaming in the dim light.
"You have a death wish, don't you?"
I smirk. "You'd be doing me a favor."
His hand moves—too fast—and suddenly, the knife isn't twirling anymore. It's pressed flat against my throat, cool and sharp, as he leans in close enough for me to catch the faintest trace of smoke and something darker beneath it.
"Tell me, little lady," he whispers, his mouth inches from hers. "Do you always flirt with men who could kill you?"
I exhale, slow and deliberate, feeling the bite of the blade against her skin.
"Only when they look at me like that."
His gaze darkens. A warning. A challenge. A promise.
And God help me—I want to see which one he'll make good on first.