Author's pov
The room fell silent as James Cruz took two swift strides toward Aria, stopping directly in front of her.
He reached out, gently caressing her trembling hand.
Aria was so shocked she couldn't even flinch, her mind temporarily numbed by pain and fear.
It wasn't until he lifted her mutilated pinky finger to his lips and began to suck that she snapped back to reality.
The sensation of her blood flowing from her veins into his mouth sent a searing pain through her that jolted her from her daze.
"No..." she gasped, yanking her hand away.
When their eyes met, the cold detachment she'd seen earlier had vanished. Now his gaze burned with something cruel yet intimately possessive.
A smear of blood remained at the corner of his mouth, giving him an eerie, almos
