Page 332 of Axis of Fire

“And how long do you think it'll be before you're sick?”

I stayed silent.

Yes, it was incredibly stupid.

But I didn't want to give in.

Neither of us spoke.

We simply looked at each other.

And slowly, the atmosphere began to shift again.

In a different direction.

A more dangerous one.

Only then did I truly become aware of how intimate the situation was.

I was sitting on his lap.

Too close.

Too natural.

Too dangerous.

His hands held me with quiet confidence, yet there was caution in his touch—as though he wasn't entirely convinced he had the right to.

My breathing faltered first.

“Trying to warm me up this way?” I asked.

There was an unexpected softness to my voice.

Rougher.

Unfamiliar.

Airis didn't answer immediately.

His gaze drifted slowly across my face, as though he were committing every detail to memory.

“Do you enjoy messing with me?” His voice dropped lower.

I bit my lip.

Far too aware of the way the air between us was changing.

Thickening.

“Why do you react so easily?” I breathed, not entirely sure what I meant myself.

He tilted his head slightly.

And for a second, I thought he was going to pull away.

Instead—