I’m hyper-aware of his presence, and I hate it. I hate that I’m drawn to him. That my nipples harden and my core burns when he’s near.
Stupid, treacherous body.
I tell myself it’s because I’ve never had a man’s attention on me before and maybe that’s it, or maybe it’s something else. Something I don’t want to admit to. The power he has over me is terrifying. It entices me. He hasn’t tried to touch me since the shower, but I know he wants to.
His gaze lingers a little longer than it should, and yeah, he might be good at hiding his emotions, but he isn’t that good. The way he looks at me is how I imagine a starving man looks at a steak. Like he could devour it, consume it all in one single bite.
That single thought gets the wheel in my head spinning. What if I use his obsession with me against him? He wants me, deep down, I can see it, and feel it, so what if I try to seduce him? Maybe that’s how…
“Do you want to watch a movie with me?”
A high-pitched squeal leaves my lips, and I jump about a foot off the chair. My movements cause the book in my lap to fall to the floor. “Jesus!” I press a hand to my chest to stop my heart from lurching out of it. “Maybe make some noise before you appear out of thin air.”
Zane smirks, showing off two dimples. I feel my insides warming already. My hormones are out of control. He’s so handsome it hurts. His body’s cut from stone, his features dangerous, but alluring. If I’d seen him on the street, I wouldn’t just find him attractive. I’d find him salivating.
“You need to become more aware of your surroundings. I’ve been standing here for five minutes now, just staring at you.”
It makes sense now, how easily he watched me. He’s like a ghost, or ninja, or both. And apparently, I need to pay better attention. Maybe if I had, I wouldn’t be here right now.
“So, is that a yes or no?”
“Uhhh.” My face heats to the temperature of the sun. “Yes, sure.” I’ve been doing anything and everything I can to keep the distance between us.
Maybe now is the time to try and implement my plan. I don’t know the first thing when it comes to seducing a man, but all I can do is try. It’s my only hope. Plus, Zane knows how inexperienced I am. It’s not like he’ll be able to notice something is up.
Like a lost puppy, I follow him out and into the living room. I plop on the couch, letting the soft cushion and oversized pillows swallow me. Watching him put on the movie, I try to come up with a plan while also trying not to look too nervous.
By the time the movie starts, and he’s settled onto the couch next to me, I’ve come up with nothing. My anxiety builds, stacking up like Jenga blocks. One misstep and everything could come crashing down.
“Are you okay?” Zane turns, asking me in that deep gravelly voice that reaches inside of me and refuses to let go.
I nod, afraid of what might come out of my mouth if I open it. Zane gives me a half-smile and directs his attention back to the TV.
I watch him out of the corner of my eye. He looks like he’s watching the movie, but he’s not. He’s watching me too.
I can sense it. Feel it.
There’s this fluttery feeling in my chest. Like a butterfly is tirelessly beating its wings, trying to escape.
Just do it. Make the first move. It’s your only way out…
Inching closer to Zane, I wonder if he can sense how nervous I am? Gah, what am I thinking? Of course, he can. Like he said, he knows me better than I know myself, which is scary as hell, by the way.
Forcing myself to keep moving, I inch closer and closer. If I stop now, I won’t move anymore, so I have to keep going. Push through the fear. Scooting closer to him, I try and keep my movements subtle, but it’s a lot harder than you would think.
Ignoring the heat in my cheeks and the tension in my muscles, I keep moving until we’re so close I can feel his body heat radiating into my side. Zane is huge compared to me, his body dwarfing mine, and as I attempt to cuddle into his side, I become more aware of this.
I don’t know why this is so hard for me. He holds me every night, this shouldn’t be any different, but it is. It’s a whole lot different because he doesn’t give me a choice at night. He just pulls me into his chest and holds me, whether I want to or not.