Page 68 of The Heart of Winter

"Or maybe I won’t. And maybe you don’t really want me to stop, either."

A pause. Our eyes were locked, trapped in this tense connection.

And then, a flicker of bitterness appeared in his.

"Is this revenge? Is that what this is?" His voice was sharp now. "You want to ruin me for how I treated you? You tell your father: ‘Look, Winter’s getting turned on by your son. What a professional. He’s just a predator, preying on his employees. Sexual harassment suit!’"

I moved fast. My hand shot out, fingers closing around the back of his neck.

"Stop, Winter…" I whispered, my voice raspy.

Winter flinched slightly but didn’t pull away.

Didn’t step back.

Instinct.

Betas and omegas often reacted this way to an alpha’s touch at the nape, with a natural submission.

"You’re getting ahead of yourself, Winter," I murmured. "That’s not what this is. There’s no revenge. There’s no hidden agenda. Relax. Everything I feel deep down is right there on the surface."

My fingers brushed against his hot skin, tangled briefly in his thick ponytail.

"And I’m glad you admitted I turn you on…"

Then, acting on some strange impulse, I hooked my fingers around his hair tie and pulled it off in one smooth motion.

Winter’s white hair tumbled around his face, soft and silken.

Now, he really did look like an elven prince.

And it took my breath away.

"Oh, Winter, Winter…" My voice was low, intense. "You’re beautiful. Perfect. Fascinating. Irresistible. I’m drawn to you. Can’t you see?"

I slowly pulled my hand back and, right in front of his eyes, slipped his hair tie onto my wrist with a casual motion, turning it into a simple bracelet.

We kept staring at each other, locked in this strange, persistent eye contact.

And then—

A knock at the door.

Winter jolted slightly, tucking his hair behind his ears as he stepped back.

I quickly returned to my seat at the desk and sank into it, not wanting to cause him any trouble.

Winter raised his voice slightly. "Come in."

Standing in the doorway was Soren, that weird guy that Winter’s brother had a thing for.

His scent hit my nose immediately, he didn’t smell like a beta but an omega. And not just any omega, a pregnant one.

"Congratulations," I said with a warm smile, standing up and making my way toward the door.

"T-thank you," he replied, clearly caught off guard.

"I won’t interrupt. This week, I’ll try to implement Werner’s revisions."

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