Sylvia's POV
Caesar's body radiated heat from my words.
When I remained silent for too long, he finally broke the tension.
"Sivi," he said, "when do we start?"
His tone was velvet-wrapped danger. And then, softer still, "You've been through a lot lately."
The words sounded innocent, but the way he said them? Like he wasn't just talking about stress. Like he meant every inch of damage, every layer scraped raw between us.
I turned to face him, and whatever smirk I'd had outside vanished like it had never existed.
"Caesar," I said, voice flat, arms crossing over my chest like a shield, "I was kidding earlier. You do realize that, right? Joke. Ha-ha. Not an invitation."
I knew Caesar would be angry, but I couldn't help myself.
The moment I said "joking," Caesar's e
