Elena’s Point Of View

The phone trembled in my sweaty palm, Jaxx’s low, husky voice curling into my ear like smoke I couldn’t escape from.

“Remove your panties, Bambina.”

For a split second, my brain screamed no. My chest heaved, my throat dry, shame clawed up my spine. But my body… traitorous, reckless, starved—obeyed before my mind could argue. My fingers hooked into the lace waistband, dragging the thin fabric down my thighs in a frantic rush. I tossed them aside, the cool ...