MELANIE
His smile is more than enough to send my heart racing, to set my whole body on fire.
On second thought, I shouldn’t wait for him to utter a single word from those sinful lips of his.
I’m barely hanging on by a thread as it is.
“Never mind that,” I force a nervous chuckle, trying to look away from him.
Valentin’s eyes hold me in place, his fingers still locked around my throat.
I’m forced to look straight into his eyes as I utter the words;
“We’re family, aren’t we? I’m your sister after all, aren’t I?”
The crinkles around his eyes soften as his gaze drops to my lips. I don’t miss the sarcastic chuckles that Xavier makes, or the whistling noises that escapes Cassian’s lips.
But it’s Val I’m focused on—that I’m allowed to focus on—and the sudden heavy heat that repla
