Enchanted By Shadow

Chapter 12

Sasha

I couldn’t focus on the food in front of me. My hands were trembling, my nerves shot, but I forced myself to keep eating—anything to avoid looking up at him again. He was the man who’d haunted my dreams ever since I saw him that night at the club, his dark figure looming in the shadows, always watching. And now, here he was, sitting across from me like he owned the place—and maybe, in some twisted way, he did.

He wasn’t just tall—he was a giant, easily 6’5”, his body covered in the kind of muscle that screamed power. The perfectly tailored suit clung to his broad shoulders and chiseled chest, leaving absolutely no doubt about the strength that lay beneath the fabric. The fine lines of his jaw, sharp and rugged, looked like they could cut through steel, and his lips... those full, sinful lips that wrapped around his steak had my mind wandering to dangerous places.

My eyes followed the way his hand gripped the fork, fingers long and strong, veins running across his skin like a roadmap to sin. And those rings, expensive and heavy on his fingers, added a darkness to him, making me wonder just how much blood he’d had on those hands. God, I was staring, shamelessly drinking him in, but I couldn’t stop myself. He was temptation, raw and dangerous, and I was the fool who wanted to touch the fire.

He moved with such precision, every shift of his jaw, every flick of his wrist as he cut into his meal, deliberate and sensual. My throat tightened as I watched his lips curl around the fork, his eyes never leaving mine, as if he was savoring more than just the food in his mouth. The way his mouth moved—slow, calculated—it made me think of other things he could do with that mouth. Other places I wanted to feel the heat of his lips. My body flushed at the thought, my core tightening with an ache I hated to admit.

As if sensing my thoughts, his gaze darkened, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips, and I realized too late that he’d caught me staring. The embarrassment rushed to my face, my cheeks burning as I quickly looked down at my plate. Damn him. Damn that smirk. He was enjoying this—enjoying watching me squirm under his gaze like prey caught in a trap. And God help me, some twisted part of me wanted to stay trapped.

I tried to finish my meal quickly, desperate to escape the heavy tension that wrapped around us, suffocating me with every second that passed. But even as I forced myself to eat, I could feel his eyes on me, devouring me with a hunger that was far more dangerous than any I’d ever known. It was as if he was stripping me bare, layer by layer, and I couldn’t help but feel exposed, vulnerable under his gaze.

Finally, I couldn’t take it anymore. I pushed my chair back, ready to make my escape, but before I could even stand fully, his voice cut through the air like a command.

“Wait.”

I froze, my heart slamming against my ribcage. His voice—low, dark, dripping with authority—left no room for disobedience. Slowly, I turned back, not daring to meet his eyes, the heat from his stare almost unbearable.

"Come here," he said, his voice smoother now, but still filled with that underlying dominance. "Sit. I have a few words with you."

Without thinking, I found myself sitting back down, like my body was no longer my own. His presence was too overpowering, his voice too commanding to resist. Every muscle in my body was tense, my nerves on fire as I waited for whatever came next. My pulse raced, and the room seemed to close in on us, like it was just the two of us locked in this moment.

“What do you want?” I finally forced out, my voice trembling slightly, betraying the defiance I tried to muster. “Be quick, I have work.”

He chuckled, the sound low and sinful, and I couldn’t help the shiver that ran down my spine. His lips curled into that same infuriatingly smug smirk, and for a moment, I was lost in the sight of his perfect dimple, a cruel contrast to the darkness that radiated off him. He was both beautiful and terrifying, like a demon disguised as a god.