The Love For Her Poison

My jaw clenched. "Go to hell."

He leaned in, close enough that I could smell the whiskey on his breath, mixed with something darker-dangerous. "Ladies first."

The tension was suffocating, charged like a wire ready to snap. I refused to back down, tilting my chin up defiantly. "You think you intimidate me?"

Leon's fingers brushed against my bare arm-just the slightest graze, barely there. But it was enough. A shiver shot through me, my breath hitching before I could stop it. His eyes flickered with recognition, as if he felt it too, but he masked it with that infuriating smirk.

Before I could react, he moved. One second I was standing, the next, my back slammed against the cold wall, a gasp ripping from my throat. He had me caged in, his hands braced on either side of my head, his body pressing just close enough to taunt me without touching.

"You're trembling," he noted, his voice low, almost teasing.

I forced a scoff, ignoring the wildfire spreading beneath my skin. "You wish."

His gaze flickered down to my lips, just for a second, before locking onto my eyes again. "I don't need to wish, Mariella. I already know."

My hand shot up, aiming for his smug, infuriating face, but he was faster. He caught my wrist with ease, his grip firm, his smirk deepening. "Tsk, tsk. That's not very ladylike."

I narrowed my eyes. "Neither is this."

Before he could react, I swung my other hand, slapping him hard across the face. The sound cracked through the hallway like a gunshot. His head snapped to the side, his jaw tightening. When he turned back to me, his expression was unreadable-except for the unmistakable flicker of rage in his eyes.