Overdue

Meliza's POV

My heart pounded, and a frantic rhythm of fear and anticipation surged through my chest. It felt as if the walls I had so carefully built around myself had crumbled in an instant, leaving me exposed and vulnerable.

I wanted to run, to put as much distance between us as possible, but my feet remained rooted to the floor. A suffocating mix of dread and disbelief paralyzed me as his hands found my waist, his touch both commanding and calculated.

"Put your arms around my neck," he ordered, his voice smooth yet firm.

A shiver ran down my spine. Every instinct screamed at me to resist, to fight, yet the weight of his presence held me captive. My breath hitched as I stared into his eyes—calm, knowing, almost amused. And then he smiled, a slow, confident curve of his lips that sent an unfamiliar heat through my veins.