The rush of heat, fear, and defiance collided inside her chest. She wanted to look away, to shrink beneath the coat that was meant to shield her, yet she could not. His presence demanded recognition, and she met it, ocean-blue eyes steady despite the tremor coiling in her stomach.
Lucrezia expected to find animosity in those eyes, the lingering resentment from the previous ordeal. She braced herself for anger and a cold reprisal, but instead, she was met with a dark, unguarded desire that felt… profoundly wrong.
Last night's encounter resurfaced unbiddenly in her mind, and her breath hitched in response. Lucrezia could still feel his breath on her skin, his lips against her neck, and the warmth of his fingers brushing the small of her back, lingering in the depths of her mind.
