Patricia’s POV
I watched Lucy walk away, heels clicking softly on the path, and something in me smiled. She’d finally left while Kenneth was still talking — perfect timing. My chest fluttered with a small, vicious joy. He looked like he was about to follow her; I could see it in the way his shoulders tensed, in the quick movement of his feet. But then he stopped. He turned back, and when his eyes found me they burned with a fierce, almost feral intensity that made my skin prickle.
For a moment I felt a sliver of fear. If looks could kill, his would have torn me apart. His breath hit my face; it was close enough to lift a stray strand of my hair. He stepped toward me until the space between us was charged and tight.
“You better stay away from me,” he snarled. “Are you that desperate you’
