Breathless, the two pulled away from the kiss, but their eyes remained locked. Fused in tension so thick, it was as if one wrong word could shatter everything. A silent question hung in the air, suspended between ragged breaths.
Lucian slowly raised a hand, his fingers brushing gently against Athena's cheek. His palm was still warm from their kiss, but Athena's reaction was as cold as frost. She turned her face away.
Lucian's eyes darkened. "What's that supposed to mean?" he asked, voice low and tight, brows drawn in frustration. His jaw clenched, and his fists curled. "You kissed me like it meant something. And now you pull away? Are you playing with me?"
Athena cleared her throat and averted her gaze as if the bed and the walls of the room suddenly became more interesting. Her
