Chapter 57: Take off your top
Alex stepped back from the kiss, his lips still tingling with the warmth of Inolda’s, and fixed her with a devious smile that curled like smoke.
Her pink curls framed her flushed face, her hazel eyes wide and flickering with a mix of defiance and something softer.
"No effect indeed," he said, his voice low and taunting, the words dripping with smug satisfaction as he leaned slightly toward her, daring her to bite back.
Inolda’s cheeks blazed a sudden, vivid red, the color clashing with her dry composure.
"Shut up," she snapped, rolling her eyes with an exaggerated sweep, her tone sharp but lacking its usual edge.
She turned her head, as if the two-horned horses munching nearby were suddenly fascinating, but the flush creeping down her neck betrayed her.
Alex’s grin widened, relishing the crack in her armor, the air between them thick with the aftermath of their kiss and the promise of more.
A low, mechanical hum interrupted them, the sliding gate of Elaris Hold whirring open, then gliding closed with a smooth, metallic clack.
The sound rippled through the compound, a subtle marker of Jusin and Griesla’s departure.
The animal side felt quieter now, the rustle of straw and distant snorts fading under the weight of their solitude.
Alex’s gaze slid back to Inolda, his smile turning suggestive, eyes glinting with mischief.