It made me swallow the bite, almost choking.
“Relax.” He chuckled again. “You look like you’re about to pass out.”
I gritted my teeth, forcing myself to take another bite. But the smirk on his face told me one thing. This wasn’t just about dinner.
This was about control.
And he had all of it.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Burning
Ibarely ate anything, barely tasted a single bite. My stomach was already full for some reason. The suffocating tension and sinful way he was analysing me was tremendously nerve-racking. I already felt like I was losing my mind. Like he wasn’t just closing in but swallowing me whole, leaving nothing behind.
He hadn’t touched his plate yet. Not even the salad. Not the main course. Nothing. Just the wine. Deep red, rich and smooth liquid he sipped nonchalantly. This was definitely an effortless game for him. I could tell the way he was so confident and shameless while being a pervert. I didn’t miss when he tilted the glass against his lips deliberately before lowering again.
It was getting on my nerves for all the bad reasons.
On another note, his eyes never left me. Not even for a second.
I swallowed hard, slowly putting the fork down. My throat was too tight and dry, while my clammy hands shook. I felt exposed and watched. Like a deer in a hunter’s sights, the bow was already drawn and the arrow pointed straight at my heart.
He casually leaned back, exhaling softly as his fingers lazily ran over the rim of the glass before setting it down. A quiet hum left his lips, dragging over my skin like silk and sin.
“Are you done?”
I didn’t trust my voice, so I just nodded.
He hummed again, deeper this time, slithering down my spine and wrapping around my lungs, squeezing the breath out of me.
I peeked at him through my lashes, wondering what was going on in his head. He was unpredictable to the point I couldn’t trust my own thoughts with him. He had this strange control and way to make me obey him, no matter what.
The monster in front of me set his glass on the table and shifted. I shifted with him unconsciously. With his same unbothered grace, he uncrossed his legs, spreading them wide.
My stomach bottomed out.
My breath hitched as he ran his thumb over his lower lip as if he was deep in thought. His stormy grey eyes darkened, taking me in, devouring me piece by piece until I was sure he’d burned me into his memory, and I didn’t want to know how I appeared in his eyes.
I was so ready to beg him to give me some more time to prepare myself, both mentally and physically. I was ready tocrush my self-respect and plead with whatever I had left in me. Hell, I was even ready to trade anything to have some more time. But he seemed to read my thoughts. The slow smile turned into a malicious grin as he drawled. “Crawl.”
I blinked. Wondering if I heard him right. Or even if I heard him at all. I did hear him though. I knew I did. But…
“Pardon?”
His expression didn’t change; if anything, his smirk deepened. Lazily, he patted his thigh once. “Crawl to my lap.”
My stomach twisted violently with the same intensity his eyes were raking over me with. My skin scorched, and I felt my face burning with shame. Was he serious?Yes. Yes, he was.
He leaned forward just a fraction, enough that I could see the way the candlelight carved out the sharp angles of his face. That jagged scar and that sinfully filthy mouth. Those goddamn eyes that held nothing but amusement laced with darkness.
He was enjoying my panic.
Enjoying the way I stared dumbfounded at him, wide-eyed with my breath uneven and my hands gripping the fabric of my dress so tight my knuckles ached.
I opened my mouth, ready to refuse, but his expression stopped me cold.
This wasn’t a request.
