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“Because he kissed me?” Her laugh is high and furious. “Oh my God. You’re an arrogant piece of shit.”
“I wouldn’t say arrogant.”
The garden lights catch on the black diamonds at her throat. Her gaze follows mine to the necklace, and her cheeks turn pink as she covers it with her fingers. “Don’t ever threaten him like that again.”
“I won’t have to if he understands the warning.”
Her eyes flash. “You’re so delusional."
When I step closer, she holds her ground, but her chest rises hard beneath the green dress, and the anger in her eyes has already started mixing with something more dangerous.
Something she tries to hide but can’t. Something I’ve seen on my mats with her wrists pinned above her head and me holding her down.
“And you’re in trouble,” I tell her.
Her breath stutters.
There it is.
Her body's deception.
The dark little door between us opening on its own.
Her pupils flare, and she glances over my shoulder, checking that no one's watching us, then looks at me, and I know she understands what's about to happen.
Sera straightens her spine and fixes her posture, already preparing herself. “You’re out of your fucking mind.”
“Probably.”
“Everyone’s inside.”
“And you’re out here.”
Her anger breaks open wider, but beneath it, her body betrays her with a shiver that spreads over her arms in goosebumps.
“Fuck you.”
“Not right here on the terrace, little wild thing.”
Her lips part. The wind, the creaking of a weathervane, the roar of laughter behind the glass all seem to pause with that one gasp.
I pull back my sleeve, unfasten the clasp, and slide my watch from my wrist.
Her gaze drops to it.
Want and fear and memory all tangle together in a way that drags every disciplined part of me tight.
“This isn’t fair,” she whispers. “They could catch us.”
“No.” I put the watch into my jacket pocket. “It isn’t. And I’m the only one who’ll catch you.”
Her throat works as she swallows, her feet rooted to the flagstones, her body primed to move.
“Sera.”
She blinks up at me.
“The safeword is necklace.” I watch her understand that she can stop me with one word, if she really wants to.
