Chapter 44 - In the fire

Viviane

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I wasn’t new to the feeling of being close to a man.

I’d had my share of relationships—Ghost and I had been tangled up in ways that blurred all kinds of lines.

But none of them had ever gotten under my skin the way Alessandro did.

It wasn’t just his proximity; it was the way his presence filled the air around me.

It was like he could unnerve me without even trying. The slightest brush of his shirt against my arm, the whisper of his breath too close to my ear, and I’d feel this pull, like gravity, dragging me toward him whether I wanted it or not.

I hated how aware of him I was. My pulse quickened, my skin buzzed, and my thoughts scattered. It pissed me off how easily he could do that, how effortless it was for him to throw me off my game with just a glance or a shift in his posture.

And the worst part? He knew. Alessandro knew exactly what he was doing. That sly smile he wore, the one that barely reached his eyes, it said everything.

He stood next to me. I could fee