Chapter 14

Chiara

I slowly back away from the man, my pulse racing. I run my gaze over his face, and the more I look at him, the less his features make sense. He’s handsome, incredibly so, but there’s something different. Something that makes the alarm bells in my head ring.

He closes the distance between us and steps forward, still grinning down at me. “Relax, beautiful. What’s the rush?”

“Nothing,” I stammer. “I have to get back. My . . . friend must be looking for me.”

“Friend who?” he asks gently, still taking slow steps forward. “It doesn’t seem like you have a friend anywhere.”

I swallow hard. I’m scared beyond words. I can feel myself starting to shut down with fear, and he seems to be enjoying it. Subtly, I glance behind me to check if I have a clear exit, but when I look back at him again, our faces are only inches apart.

With a small cry, I stagger back and nearly fall over. To my surprise, he catches me by the waist and pulls me close.

All at once, I’m hit by his scent. Musk and amber