Regina allowed Waldo to continue wiping her fingers, her long lashes fluttering slightly. Her eyes, filled with confusion, locked onto the man before her as she blurted out:
"Who… who are you?"
The motion of Waldo's hand stilled. His expression remained unreadable, but a faint crease formed between his sharp brows. His wolf-like eyes darkened, a shadow creeping through their depths.
Without a word, his slender fingers brushed against her cheek, tracing a slow, deliberate path before tilting her chin upward, forcing her face closer to his.
Regina inhaled sharply as she was drawn toward him. Every inch that closed between them made the sheer force of his presence all the more suffocating. Her heart pounded erratically in her chest, panic creeping in as she stammered,
"I… I didn't mean it like that… I was just—"
"Just what… hmm?"
His low murmur cut through her trembling words, laced with amusement yet carrying an unmistakable warning.