Page 87 of Snitches and Serpents

This is the second thing that confuses me about my feelings towards Tristan.

I feel irrevocably drawn to him.

Not only does he make me feel free, because I never have to pretend with him, but my body also craves his touch.

It’s confusing, and a recipe for disaster. And something that I need to avoid at all costs from here on out.

“How did it go?” I ask.

He frowns at me.

“Your exams,” I clarify. “How did it go?”

Suspicion blows across his features, and he narrows his eyes at me. I just keep looking back at him. When he realizes that I’m genuinely wondering, he looks surprised for a second. But he recovers quickly and wipes the expression off his face.

“It went well,” he answers with a shrug. Then he nods towards the manacle around my ankle. “Are you going to try to attack me again when I take that off?”

Relief surges through me. He actually is going to keep his word and let me go.

Holding his gaze, I reply, “No.”

He seems to consider for a while. Then he finally nods. Uncrossing his arms, he starts towards me while slipping a hand into the pocket of his jeans and pulling out a key. I remain where I am, watching him.

The very air between us feels charged with electricity. I suppress the urge to hold my breath as he stops in front of me.

For a few seconds, he just stands there, looking down at me.

When he’s this close, his intoxicating scent wraps around me and makes my head spin all over again.

My heart patters in my chest.

Then he drops to a knee.

I start in surprise, even though in hindsight, I knew that there was no other logical way for him to unlock the manacle. But still, seeing him on one knee before me makes heat sear through my veins and a strange giddiness bubble through me.

And before I can stop myself, I let out a small laugh and say, “If I had known that it would end with you on your knees in front of me, I would’ve let you kidnap me much sooner.”

Surprise flits across his face as he flicks his gaze up to me, and it looks like he’s about to laugh. But then he apparently remembers himself and quickly wipes the amusement off his features. Instead, he arches a dark brow and levels a pointed stare at me.

“I could always leave it on,” he threatens, pausing with the key halfway to the lock.

Even though I’m pretty sure that it’s an empty threat, I’m not about to risk it now, so I give him what he wants.

Dropping my gaze, I quickly reply, “No. I’m sorry.”

He keeps watching me, as if to make sure that I understand that he still holds all the power. Apparently satisfied, he finally inserts the key and unlocks the manacle.

I suck in a breath of relief as it falls away.

Tristan gets to his feet. But he doesn’t step back. Instead, he remains there, looming over me from only a step away.

“If you try to get me arrested for this, you will fail,” he says. “There is no proof beyond your own word. This is a house with six bedrooms. Five of them are upstairs. This is the sixth one. Currently unused but still furnished. You won’t be able to prove that I used it to keep you here.”

I look up to meet his gaze. “I know. And I wasn’t planning to report you.”

Suspicion and confusion drift across his features, and he narrows his eyes at me. But then he simply moves on. “You’ll be expelled now. Which means that after you leave here today, I will never have to lay eyes on you again.” Threats creep into his voice. “Make sure it stays that way.”

I say nothing, simply continue holding his gaze.

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