Eric's POV
"Ugh!"
Valeria's knee shot up, catching me in the stomach. She gritted her teeth, throwing her shoulder into the push that finally sent me backward, my body slamming into the narrow wall behind me.
Bang!
My head hit with a resounding thud, my hair falling loose across my face. But I didn't flinch. I held my gaze steady, unfazed by her strike, watching her with the calm authority of someone in control.
Her eyes blazed, their fury igniting a bright red glow that held the heat of her anger from our kiss. I found myself searching for something more, maybe even a glimmer of something softer—but I wasn't sure what I'd expected.
It had only been a tentative kiss, an exploration.
"Next time," I said calmly, "respond to me."
Valeria's glare cut like a knife. "Shameless."
The wor
