His breath was a whisper over her skin, shallow and trembling, as if he was holding something back— something dangerous, something desperate. Her back was pressed to the wall, her pulse thundering beneath her skin, her lashes fluttering shut as his forehead came to rest lightly against hers.
Xander’s hand grazed her arm, the touch so gentle it sent a ripple through her entire body. Fingers trailed upward, skimming her shoulder, slipping beneath the edge of her sleeve like a secret. Her skin shivered beneath his touch — warm, calloused, familiar and terrifying all at once.
He leaned in, and for a moment, nothing moved. Just their breaths, just the heat. Then his mouth brushed the side of her neck, lips parted, barely touching, as if he was savoring her scent, the curve of her throat, the
