Before she could do anything, his hand shot out, pinning her back against the wall with a soft thud. Zayden's grip was tight around her throat, not choking her but holding her exactly where he wanted. His body was pressed against hers, his chest rising and falling against her, warmth bleeding through their clothes. The city lights painted shadows on his sharp jawline, but his blue eyes were locked onto her like she was the only thing that mattered.
Her hand with the knife twitched uselessly at her side. She could feel his heartbeat through her palm pressed against his chest, steady, way too steady for a guy who had just been through a near-assault on his empire.
"You really think you can just hide forever? From them? From me?"
"Do you really think we can be together?" she whispered, her voice rougher than she meant. "No. We can't. It just won't work."
