Amara immediately turned toward him.
“What am I doing here?” she snapped. “Let me out. I want to go back to my own house.”
Elias didn’t answer.
He simply got out of the car and walked around to her side.
The second he opened the passenger door, his arms slid beneath her again before she could even protest properly.
Amara gasped as he lifted her out once more.
“Elias, let me down!” she snapped angrily.
But he ignored her completely.
He carried her into the house without stopping, his steady footsteps echoing through the entrance hall before he walked straight into the living room.
Only then did he finally stop.
But instead of placing her on the floor, Elias sat her down on the wide backrest of the couch.
Amara barely had time to react before he stepped forward again.
His body moved between her legs, trapping her in place instantly. One arm braced against the couch beside her while the other settled against her waist, caging her in completely.
Because of the awkward position, Amara had no choice but to grab onto his shoulders to steady herself from falling backward.
Her fingers tightened instinctively against the fabric of his shirt.
Elias lowered his head slowly toward her.
The tension between them thickened instantly.
One of his hands remained wrapped firmly around her waist while the other slid upward to cup her face gently. His thumb brushed softly along the edge of her ear, the touch strangely soothing compared to the terrifying possessiveness from earlier.
Then he leaned even closer until his breath brushed against her lips.
His voice dropped low and quiet.
“Are you hungry?”
Her breath hitched the moment his question landed.
She could still feel the tension radiating off him—anger coiled tight in his posture, jaw locked, eyes sharp and unreadable. And yet… the words he said didn’t match that at all.
Amara blinked at him, completely thrown off.
For a second, she actually wondered if she had misheard him.
Elias didn’t break eye contact. His hand was still at her waist, holding her in place as if he had no intention of letting her go anywhere. Then he repeated, slower this time, voice low and controlled.
“Are you hungry?”
A pause.
Then, almost casually, he added, “How about dinner night? Just you and me.”
Her brows pulled together in confusion as she stared at him.
