From the way my body inexplicably recognises his, even without seeing him.

The air shifts behind me, his shallow breaths ghosting along the curve of my neck.

My stomach twists. My knees feel weak.

He releases his grip.

First, my wrist - his fingers unfurling slowly, deliberately, as if reluctant to let go.

Then, his hand drops from my mouth, the warmth of his palm vanishing like a brand being lifted from my skin.

I suck in a deep, shuddering breath, my chest rising and falling too fast as I try to reorient myself, to grasp hold of the fleeting moment of freedom -

But then I spin, ready to go full-blown self-defense mode.

And he’s still there.

Frederic has stepped back just enough to let me move, but not enough to give me space. His tall, broad frame still looms, the sharp angles of his body caging me in, pressing me between him and the polished wood of the door.

The air crackles.

I should push him. Should shove him away and storm out of this room without looking back.

But I don’t.

Because the look in his eyes is something I haven’t seen before.

Something dark. Somethingwanting.

And my traitorous body reacts before my brain can catch up - my breath catching, my pulse skittering, my skin prickling with heat.

“What thehell-” I start, but I stop myself from saying anything further.

His blue eyes are darker, sharper, filled with an intensity that sends a hot shiver down my spine. His chest rises and falls deeply, like he’s barely keeping something in check.

And suddenly, I come to the realisation that I’m not in control of this situation.

Heis.

“You need to stop looking at me like that,” he says, voice lower than I’ve ever heard it.

I blink. “Likewhat?”

His hands come up, effectively caging me in as his palms rest against the doorframe on either side of my head.

"Like you’re waiting for me to do something about it.”

I swallow.Hard.

Okay, so maybe my entire body is on fire.

Maybe this is dangerous.

Maybe I should tell him to back off, walk out, never look back.

But I don’t.

His breath brushes my cheek as his lips tilt into something dangerously close to a smirk.