Chapter 29
Chapter 29:
With a swift motion, he reversed their positions, pinning her beneath him on the mat.
His arms braced on either side of her head, his face lowering until the bridge of his nose hovered a breath from hers.
Their breaths tangled in the narrow space between them, and mischief flickered so vividly in his eyes it felt almost tangible.
His hips pressed forward, the hard planes of his abdomen grazing her waist. His voice dropped into a low challenge. “Is touching enough for you p>
𝘙e𝘢𝘥 w𝘪𝗍𝗁o𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝖾𝘳𝗿𝘶p𝘁𝗶оns 𝗈ո
“You!” Brinley’s sharp cry burst out as she jerked her knee upward toward his stomach.
But Austin was faster. He caught her ankle mid-strike, his grip like forged steel.
She twisted, trying to break free, yet his hold didn’t budge an inch.
“Let go of me!” Her cheeks flamed, her voice edged with fury.
Instead of releasing her, Austin leaned closer, his body heat enclosing her like an inescapable cage.
Her pulse raced as she found herself staring at his face only inches away—lashes dark and thick, nose sharply carved, lips shaped with infuriating perfection. Her thoughts scattered, her body frozen, and she forgot to turn her head away.
Then Austin stopped.
Instead of stealing the kiss she had braced for, he reached out and plucked a feather from her hair—one she must have picked up when they tumbled onto the pillow earlier.
“There’s something in your hair,” he murmured in his usual even tone, as though the heat in his gaze moments ago had been nothing but her imagination.
He straightened and glanced down at Brinley sprawled on the mat. One brow lifted, his lips tugging into a smirk. “So, are you planning to move in down there p>
The remark snapped her back to herself. Heat rushed to her cheeks, creeping all the way to her ears.
She scrambled up, smoothing her rumpled blouse with quick, embarrassed motions, then shot him a glare. “You did that on purpose p>
“What do you mean?” Austin asked, his tone innocent, though his eyes glittered as he dragged a towel over his damp skin. Mischief curled at the edges of his expression. “You’re the one who couldn’t stop staring at me while I worked out—and then went diving straight into my arms p>
“I was not staring at you!” Brinley fired back, her temper flaring as the color deepened in her cheeks. “I was just walking past. And why on earth are you working out in the living room instead of using the gym? What’s wrong with you p>
“The AC in the gym broke,” Austin replied evenly. His gaze lingered on the curve of her flushed earlobe, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
“The AC is broken?” Brinley echoed, eyeing him skeptically. “Why does this place have so many issues? Maybe you should consider buying an entirely new villa p>
Austin didn’t bother answering. He simply kept studying her indignant expression, as if he found it endlessly entertaining.
The longer he stared, the more unsettled she felt. Brinley turned away sharply and stomped toward the dining room, determined to ignore him.
She forced down a few hurried bites of dinner, but her thoughts kept circling back to the scene in the living room—Austin’s sweat-slick skin, the heat of his breath against her face, and that teasing glint in his eyes.
Abruptly, she set her knife and fork down with a clatter and shoved her chair back, as if retreating from a battlefield.
Without looking over her shoulder, she fled up the stairs to her bedroom.