5. Forbidden Temptation

Dante's POV.

I leaned in, close enough that I could taste the tension in the air. "Curious if that sharp mouth of yours is worth all the trouble it causes," I murmured, tracing my thumb over her lips. "Or if you're just all talk.”

A flash of anger lit her gaze, a spark that only seemed to fuel the amusement I felt building with me. But I held her gaze, my thumb was still resting against her mouth. She was helpless here, her hands tied, her body tensed under my stare, but her eyes...those damn hazel eyes...still held their challenge.

"Go on, then," she sneered, her voice defiant. "Do your worst.”

The words hung in the air, her voice daring, but I noticed that faint tremble behind them, a hesitation that gave her away.

I raised an eyebrow, letting a slight smirk pull at my mouth. "Is that a challenge?"

Her lips pressed into a thin line, the fire in her eyes flaring, but she didn't answer. For a second, I was just...staring, captivated by the strange mix of strength and vulnerability she wore like a shield. But I couldn't shake growing urge to test that boldness, to see how much of this was real and how much was simply armor.

My hand shifted, fingers moving along her jaw, then back to her lips, my thumb tracing their shape slowly, deliberately. Her breathing was unsteady, and I could feel the faint quiver in her body, but she stood still, not pulling away, watching me with those fierce ejes as though daring me to take it further.

What are you doing, Dante? The question rang in my mind, but I pushed it aside.

I leaned in, close enough to see the pulse flickering at her throat, the barely concealed fear in her gaze. She wasn’t backing down, but the defiance in her eyes was filled with uncertainty. Still, she kept that chin high, those lips set in a way that tempted me to see if she’d break.

My hand moved on its own, drifting down to brush my fingers along her cheek. I could see the shock spread across her face, but she held steady, her lips parting slightly as she tried to figure out what I was doing.

“Not so sharp now, are you?” I murmured, tracing the edge of her mouth with my thumb.

Her breath hitched, and for a second, the fire in her eyes softened…just a flicker, a crack in that armor. But as quickly as it had slipped, it returned. Her mouth curved into a small, mocking smile, and she spoke, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

“Do you do this with all your captives, or am I just lucky?”

I clenched my jaw, feeling that strange mix of anger and amusement coil tighter. She wasn’t breaking like I’d expected. If anything, her sarcasm just made her more intriguing, her refusing to break, more tempting to test. I leaned closer, my thumb staying at her lips, the urge to silence her in one way or another pressing at me.

“Keep talking like that, and you’ll find out,” I warned with my voice low. But it didn’t have the effect I wanted. Instead of cowering, she held her ground, a flash of boldness still in those hazel eyes.

“Is that supposed to scare me?” she shot back, her voice not too audible, but filled with a strength that defied her position.

The air grew thick between us, filled with tension that neither of us seemed willing to break. I felt myself leaning in, closer than I intended, my gaze fixed on those damn lips.

I watched her carefully, my eyes narrowing as her lips twisted, her eyes blazing even in her worn state. For someone tied up and cornered, she had a spark I hadn’t expected, and it was starting to grate on me. Every retort, every sarcastic barb—it was as if she was testing how far she could go, how much she could push.

“What?” I asked coldly, crossing my arms as I waited for her to come back with yet another remark.

She raised an eyebrow, meeting my gaze. “You think I’m scared of you, don’t you?”

A dark chuckle escaped me. “I know you are. You’d be a fool not to be.”

Her boldness only grew, lips twisting into a mocking smile that made me want to wipe it clean off her face. But I couldn’t deny it…there was something there. Something raw and unfiltered, like she was daring me to see her as anything other than the weak pawn her brother had handed over.

I took a step closer, close enough that I could see her breathing quicken, see the stubborn fire in her gaze waver just slightly. “You talk big for someone in your position.”

Her chin lifted, hazel eyes locking onto mine. “I’m not just ‘someone,’ and I won’t be treated like some bargaining chip. Not by you, and certainly not by Marcus.”

I couldn’t help the smirk that pulled at my mouth, her audacity almost laughable. My hand lifted, fingers grazing her cheek before trailing down to hover just above her lips. I could feel her breath hitch, see the struggle between fear and defiance playing out on her face.

“And what exactly are you going to do about it?” I murmured, my thumb brushing over her lower lip.

For a second, I could see her hesitate, a flash of uncertainty crossing her face. But then her expression hardened, and she m

et my gaze the fire in her eyes refusing to die out.