Lilith's POV
Jarek stalks closer, his footsteps echoing in the empty hallway, each one pounding in time with my racing heart.
I clutch my skirt, the fabric crumpling in my sweaty palms.
"...Stop toying with me."
I whisper, voice barely audible, eyes fixed on my white knuckles, avoiding his gaze.
Then—there it was.
That familiar scent of sandalwood and something darker, something predatory, wrapped around me as he suddenly closed the distance.
"Toying with me?" he drawls, his hot breath brushing my cheek.
Before I could react, his hands braced against the wall on either side of my head, caging me in.
Too close—close enough to see the shadow of his lashes, close enough to steal the air from my lungs.
I turn my face away, throat tight. All the pent-up shame and frustration burst,
