Jasmine remained still. Not when Xavier's hand glided down her waist, not when his fragrance saturated the air like the heaviness of a looming storm suffocating her breath.

Her skin quivered under his caress, uncertain whether to pull away or draw closer. Her breath hitched in her throat, and she despised how her body let her down... warmth igniting deep within her.

"You defied me," he stated, his tone not booming but cutting, penetrating the stillness like a knife's point. “Two times.” ...