CHAPTER SEVENTY-EIGHT

My breath catches in my throat as I take in the sight of him, all tousled hair and piercing green eyes that seem to see straight through to my very soul. He's clearly freshly showered and changed, the crisp scent of his soap mingling with the unique aroma that is purely him.

For a moment, we simply stare at each other, the air between us thick with a tension that has my heart pounding in my chest. Then his gaze rakes over me from head to toe, a frown tugging at the corners of his mouth as he takes in my appearance.

"Where are you going?" he asks, his voice low and rough with an emotion I can't quite decipher.

"To see Lily," I reply, reaching for the door handle once more.

But Nickolas is faster, his hand slamming against the wood and holding it firmly shut. "You're not going," he growls.

I suck in a sharp breath, frustration warring with the instinctive urge to submit to his comm