Nevaeh felt like the ground had dropped out from under her. The situation made no sense, and her mind struggled to keep up. She had been rejected, then given a second chance, and now this, being tied to another man on top of it. It felt less like fate and more like something cruel playing with her life.
Her thoughts scrambled for an explanation, anything that could make it stop. But the heat in her arm was real. It wasn't just there, it spread, sharp and consuming, as if something had settled into her and refused to let go. The place where his fingers had touched still burned, not on her skin, but deeper.
Her grip tightened on the bedsheet, the fabric bunching in her fists.
"Stop…" she whispered, her voice thin.
Kallos pulled his hand away at once, his body going still. "Did I hurt you?" His voice came out rough, tight with worry.
