something dangerous

THE CHAPTER IS SLIGHTLY SMUTTY. IF YOU DON'T LIKE READING SUCH, YOU CAN SKIP TO THE NEXT CHAPTER

"Am I really not welcome here, Hua Jing?"

His voice was low—a whisper, rough and deep, but filled with something else.

Something dangerous.

Something undeniable.

Hua Jing's breath hitched.

Zhao Yan was close. Too close.

The lanterns cast a golden glow across his face, sharpening the strong lines of his jaw, the curve of his lips.

But it was his eyes that held her still.

That trapped her, made her chest tighten, made her forget how to breathe.

Golden.

Molten.

Hunger hidden behind patience.

She should move.

She should push him away.

She should—

But she didn't.

She couldn't.

Because even as her mind screamed at her to step back—her body betrayed her.

Her fingers curled against the wooden door at her back, nails pressing into the grain.

She could feel everything.