Salome’s POV
“Salome,” he whispered.
The way he said my name felt like a physical weight. I didn't move. I kept my eyes locked on the horizon, watching the sun dip lower until the sky looked like it was bleeding into the trees. Part of me wanted to turn. I wanted to see if his face matched the soft, heavy tone of his voice. But I knew better. Jeremiah was a man who played to win, and right now, we were playing the game he had just described. The legend said the first person to speak or move lost the challenge.
I wasn't going to lose. I pressed my lips together and forced my breathing to stay slow and shallow. I could feel him watching me. The heat from his body was closer than it had been a moment ago. He was shifting on the wooden bench, closing the gap between us until I could feel th
