Chapter 199

After a moment's hesitation, Vespera picked up the lapel pin and popped off the cap. She examined the sharp point, then shifted her gaze to Dominic, who was still fast asleep in bed. She gave him a slow once-over, head to toe, calculating the best place to strike. Top of the foot? No, what if she accidentally crippled him? Besides, all those spots were under the blanket. She'd have to lift the covers, pull up a sleeve or pant leg, and that just felt creepy.

In the end, her eyes settled on the only area still exposed besides his face and neck—his hand. After inspecting his long, sculpted fingers, she settled on the index finger, holding it steady with one hand while slowly bringing the pin closer with the other.

Dominic's eyebrow twitched. Just before the needle touched his skin, Vespera paused, glancing down at his handsome, sleeping face. Her voice came out soft, almost apologetic.

"Mr. Beid, I'm not trying to stab you on purpose—it's just that you're sleeping way too deeply. My grandma used to say that if someone can't be woken up, I might be stuck in a nightmare."

"And the only way to break it is to draw a little blood. Sorry, it'll hurt a little. I'm gonna count to three. One, two... three—"

"There," the needle shot forward, but it hit nothing. The finger she'd been holding slipped free, and before she could react, her hand was caught. Fingers slid between hers, threading through and locking their hands together.

Vespera panicked and tried to pull away. Then, suddenly, she was yanked downward. Still bent over, she lost her balance and fell straight onto him. Her chest landed square on his, his warm torso pressing tightly against hers…

Eyes wide, she gasped and scrambled to push herself off. One hand was braced against his chest—still clutching the needle. In the rush to sit up, the pin jabbed into his "weapon-wielding" hand, too. She tumbled right back down onto his chest again. It was the last straw. She shouted for him to let go, but when he didn't, she tried to stab his hand. That was when he lost his patience.

With a swift action, he flipped her over and pinned her beneath him. His voice, low and gravelly, brushed her ear. "Are you dead set on bleeding me dry?"

His eyes opened slowly, still hazy with sleep—soft, half-lidded, and lazy. Vespera's brain was pounding like crazy. What kind of ridiculous position was this? Her whole body was tense, and her face was heating up uncontrollably. "Mr. Reid, could you let go of me first? I need to get up."

He darted his eyes left and right, deliberately avoiding his face. Eye contact right now? That was a recipe for disaster.

"Let you up if you can stab me a couple more times?" Dominic asked, still caught on the sensation of her softness pressed against him. His gaze wandered to her throat, pale neck, the natural flush of her lips, and the slightly messy strands of hair fanned out across his pillow, filling the space with a light, intoxicating scent.

His breath hitched. The air between them suddenly felt too hot. His palm moved gently against hers, fingertips warm, damp with tension. The air thickened with something unspoken—dangerous, intimate.

"I'm not stabbing you anymore. Here, take the needle."

Vespera tossed the pin aside, her heart thudding so loudly it felt like it might crack her chest open. "There. No needle. You're safe now. Can I get up, please?" Dominic stared at her a moment longer, then finally released her.

Vespera scrambled off the bed. Her knees wobbled, her hair was a mess, her palms were tingling, and her balance was completely gone. She nearly toppled right back onto the mattress. Dominic's gaze instinctively followed the curve of her back, the way her body moved, and his breath caught again.

With her back still to him, Vespera took a second to fix her hair and clothes, then turned around, forcing her voice into something resembling calm. "Mr. Reid, now that you're awake, I'll head back to my duties." Given the message from Fown, she'd wait for him to come out. There was no way she was sticking around another second. Waking him up had been seriously traumatic.

"Not so fast," Dominic said, slapping her hand.

Vespera reluctantly turned back, her voice a little weak. "Yes? Is there anything else?"

"You stabbed me," Dominic pulled his shirt back slightly to show her.

Vespera stared at the tiny spot of blood on his chest. She stared for a long moment, then said flatly, "Sorry."

"You think 'sorry' is going to cut it?" Dominic's voice dropped—low, cool, and unreadable.