Cassian remained seated while Cixi stood before him, and the difference in height should have made him seem less imposing. Instead, it did the opposite.

He looked even more dangerous like this, lounging with lazy control, one hand still wrapped around hers, his gaze lifted to her face, deciding how far to let this game go.

For one dreadful moment, she forgot every foolish thing she had watched the night before. Those five steps Marion had tossed at her. None of it seemed useful now. None of it had prepared her for the way Cassian looked at her right now, as though he could peel apart her bravery and expose the shaking thing beneath.

"Well?" he drawled, his thumb brushing once over her knuckles. "What are you waiting for, little lamb?"

A soft gasp slipped from her, and that small movement nearly undid her. His touch was like a live wire, sending sparks through her every nerve.

She then drew in a careful breath, and before her courage could rot away, she let go of her purse strap and allowed it to fall to the floor.

Cassian’s eyes dipped to her hand, and the corner of his mouth tilted ever so slightly.

Encouraged and mortified in equal measure, she stepped closer until her knees nearly brushed his. She placed her knees on either side of his hips and settled herself in his lap, facing him.

One of her hands remained in his, while the other braced itself against the back of the sofa just beside his head.

Her maxi dress had ridden up to her knees in the movement, and the position felt far too intimate, far too bold for a woman whose cheeks were already burning with heat.

Every inch of her was suddenly aware of him: the heat of his body, the strength of his thighs and the dangerous ease with which he accepted her there.

Yet Cassian showed not the slightest trace of discomfort as hers. If anything, he looked even more composed, which only made her feel more exposed.

His gaze moved over her face, then lowered to her two full mounds that had gently pressed against his chest, before raising his gaze again with calmness, with the intention to make her fully understand what she had chosen before he uttered the words.

"There she is. I was beginning to think you would faint before you reached me."

"I am not going to faint," Cixi insisted, though her voice lacked the strength she had hoped for.

"No?" His gaze dropped to her mouth again. "Pity. I might have enjoyed catching you."

That devil! 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

One corner of his lips curled once more. "Make me want you to take you to bed!" The words struck her like a match to dry air. For a moment, Cixi simply stared at him. "I will sign it and agree to all your terms... including the terms I haven’t read yet!... I am eager to discover if your kiss is as alluring as your self-assurance."

He had said it so smoothly and shamelessly that it made Cixi think if He was curious to see whether she would bolt, blush, or give up.

She forced herself to hold his gaze, even while her heart beat so hard it almost hurt.

Marion’s ridiculous advice clattered uselessly through her mind. Touch him. Flirt. Be bold.

Easy to say when one was not perched on the lap of a mafia devil who looked at women as though he could strip the truth out of them with a single glance.

She swallowed hard. Then gradually she slipped her hand from his, and he let her as she pleased. He merely watched.

Her fingers lifted uncertainly and came to rest against his shoulder. The fabric of his jacket was smooth beneath her palm, yet she could feel the solid line of muscle under it, and that small discovery made her pulse stumble again.

She released her other hand from the leather sofa and slowly slid it into his dark, silken hair, gripping the thick strands firmly to anchor herself. For a brief moment, she did nothing but hold him there.

Cassian did not even flinch. He simply sat perfectly still, observing every one of her hesitant movements with those predatory eyes.

He offered her no help at all. He forced her to build every inch of this moment by herself. Yes, she would not stop until he signed the paper and agreed to it.

She drew a deep, shaky breath, and then leaned down and pressed her lips to the corner of his mouth. It was only the faintest, softest touch at first, merely testing the lethal waters.

Of course, Cassian remained unaffected, waiting for her to go further.

Her earlier boldness began to collapse into embarrassment. Yet when she pulled back slightly, she noticed his eyes. There was a change in them. His dark irises had shifted to a lighter shade of brown, and that tiny change gave her just enough courage not to retreat.

Her fingers moved in his hair again, more slowly this time. Surprisingly, the motion calmed her, even as it deepened the tension curling low in her chest. She held Cassian’s gaze, and he held hers, his eyes wavering from one of her irises to the other.

Then she leaned in once more and parted her lips, carefully pressing them around his full lower lip. The movement began slowly, keeping everything light and focusing only on the soft pressure between them.

Gradually, she dragged her lips upward, grazing his warm skin more deeply. She did not know about Cassian, but it sparked a fire that coursed through her. With tantalising slowness, she captured his firm upper lip between both of hers, gradually losing the fear that had gripped her heart moments earlier. She sucked gently on the soft flesh, drawing him closer.

She paused there, breathing warm air directly against his skin. Then, with a little more confidence, she let her tongue join the kiss. She did not rush, as though she were savouring how her lips and tongue felt against him, taking her time while she gently traced the outline of his mouth.

She refused to invade the inside of his mouth. Instead, she explored the prominent dip of his Cupid’s bow. Her tongue glided over the soft skin before sliding back down to his lower lip. There, she caught it gently between her teeth. She gave him a clumsy but intentional nibble, her heart racing as she discovered the sensitive response beneath her touch. It felt like a dance of discovery and learning, wrapped inside the shape of a contract and a challenge. She drew him deeper into a sweet, intoxicating moment.

A shiver ran through her.

Her hand tightened gently in his hair, not harshly, but enough to draw him the slightest bit closer. It reminded her of the terrace, of the way he had once controlled the distance between them, and the memory sent warmth spreading through her limbs.

She pressed herself a little closer, her body trembling with the effort to stay brave. This time, the kiss deepened, though it remained uncertain, still tender in its own unpracticed way. Her fingers grazed his hair, stroking, gathering, and holding, as though she had begun to lose herself in the feel of him.

Then, in one reckless pulse of desperation, she bit his lower lip lightly between her teeth.

And for once, Cassian’s jaw ticked.