“Do you honestly think you can escape me?” he asks me incredulously.
“I know I can.” My answer makes him pout his lips and furrow his brow.
“If you want to, we can put your theory to the test.” Without waiting for a response, he goes to the door to the terrace and leaves it wide open.
What the fuck is he doing? The slow burn of this ridiculous situation is making me feel all tingly, which makes me sit upstraighter. And when his gaze settles upon me, he licks his lips, and he looks like he feels like he accomplished something.
Probably my demise.
In a couple of quick strides, he is standing before me again, and then he kneels. We are now at eye level, and we are so close I can feel his breath. My own breaths are unsteady, and I can hear every intake.
“I’ll even give you a head start.” His voice is addictive.
“What?” I can’t believe I have to entertain this.
“I will go upstairs to my balcony to watch you while you run,” he says nonchalantly, but I know what he is doing. His voice and demeanor may be steady, but his eyes betray him. His pupils are dilated, and he is looking at me like a lion looks at a gazelle.
Prey.
The room disappears, and in this whole, wide, wicked world, only we are left. Our bodies are here, our minds are reeling, and words are left unspoken. Outside, it’s below zero degrees, but inside, it’s a furnace.
My eyes almost pop out of my sockets because of his insane request.
“You must be joking. Do you honestly think I’m going to let you do that?”
Innocence, Lana. You don’t want to make him angry.
M puts his tongue between his teeth and raises his eyebrows. In an instant, he grabs me by the back of my head and pulls my face closer to his.
Our lips are so close that if I opened my mouth, it would brush against his. He inches closer, and I feel the heat in my body rising. My hands are still on my sides, sweaty now, and I’m dying to move the one single strand of hair from his forehead.
I’m avoiding his gaze, focusing my attention on other parts of his face because I don’t trust myself.
M catches on to my hesitation and grabs my chin by cupping it in his hand. His soft skin is caressing me like that of a gentle lover.
But his eyes will never lie.
M is not fucking gentle.
“Lana, does it seem like I’m joking?” he asks me with more urgency now. I softly shake my head, and M brings his lips close to my left ear. “When I’m upstairs, you’ll go to the terrace, and then I will tell you to start running. I’ll give you fifteen seconds to escape me.”
“What if I don’t?” I ask him in a low tone. My question is barely above a whisper.
“Then I’ll do whatever the fuck I want. Do you want that?” He lets go of my hair and stands up to look at me. After a moment, I give him my answer.
11
M“Fine.”
I close my eyes and choose to stay like this for a full five seconds.
Why?
My little hummingbird submitted to this situation, getting messy in the process. And she doesn’t even know it yet.
I offer her my hand, and she places her left one in it willingly. I pull her up, hard, and her chest touches mine.
This fucking moment defies what’s to come. Complete annihilation of our souls.
