𝐒𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐍𝐄
Time clawed to a devastating crawl, and when his words sank in, I did not step back.
I jumped back.
Nothing could have prepared me as the world snapped back into focus, and I remembered where I was. Mikhail's presence no longer blinded me as I stood there, breath unsteady.
What was going on?
The haze over my eyes had fallen away.
"What?" My words were as unsteady as I was.
Mikhail's jaw clenched, hard, eyes flaring, boring into me like a heat-seeking laser.
"Don't pretend…" he drawled, clutching his chains, biceps flexing hard enough to crush metal. "You don't want me."
His words died as I took half a step back.
His eyes snapped to my feet, his lip quivering into a smirk, his gaze dragging back to lock onto mine.
I swallowed thickly, licking my lip nervously.
His eyes darted there too, staying there, utterly abashed.
It was as if he were intently aware of everything about me and was intrigued by it.
