Page 25 of The Commons

I draw back to push through the door when suddenly, my legs slip and a buzz of electricity surges through my hands and shocks me. “Argh!” I gasp, pulling my hands away, but I struggle to stand firm on the ground. Looking at the floor, I realize it might be slippery, but he seems perfectly still. He probably has the appropriate shoes. To make matters worse, I realize there is no space for me to fall back without touching the electric door. There is no room between him and me.

I look down, to avoid eye contact as I try to draw away from the door, even closer to him, but my feet keep sliding. Urgh.

I’m not sure if I’m more afraid of the door or him. I can feel the vigor in his breath. I can almost taste it this close to him. He simply watches me.

How do I ask him to help me without asking him to help me? How do I ask him to help steady me without asking him? Desperate, my words spit it out. “Would you mind⁠—”

“Argh!” Just as I feel another shock through my hands, he pulls my waist away from the door with a strong force, pushing me tightly to himself.

“I don’t help outlaws,” he whispers into my ear.

Our eyes collide. I catch a glimpse of the doorknob turning, and I realize that the door once shut only opens after a certain time. And it’s ten minutes before that door opens.

He turns to me. “It’s meant to catch criminals.”

My voice is shaking. “I wasn’t doing anything, I promise.”

“Uh-huh,” he says, nonchalant, turning away from me.

This room is warmer than ever, so much my mind doesn’t realize when it confesses out loud. “It’s so hot.”

“Is it?” he says, clearly not giving a crap what I think.

“You don’t have to hold me if you don’t want to?” I say, almost annoyed.

“I don’t do things I don’t want to do. So just try to stop talking. I wasn’t expecting company when I came in here.”

“Sorry.”

His eyes trace my face with a subtle smile. “Sorry is not going to suffice.”

My heart drops. My eyes look into his. “I really didn’t mean to come in here.”

“So you wanna leave?” he asks, eying me. Is this sarcasm or what?

This must be a trick question. He can’t possibly let me off so easily. Nevertheless, I respond. “Yes,” I say softly in the same tone as him, hoping, that for a moment, he’ll make my wishful thinking come true.

He doesn’t. “It’s gonna cost you.” He sticks his tongue under his teeth, eyeing my lips. “A kiss,” he says so sensually, it’s almost alluring. But how can I be allured by the devil?

Is he being serious? I exhale. I’ve never kissed a guy before. I certainly can’t tell him that. Not him. Anyone, but him. He’ll assign it a fault or something and snap my neck for being different from him… I humor him, trying to read him. “I don’t think you’re gonna like that,” I say.

“Why not?” His jaw adjusts, tracing me with his lightning blue eyes that are too comfortable staring at me like I’m a work of art at his disposal.

“Because…”

His finger flicks my bottom lip. Oh my gosh. He is serious.

“Because you’re not gonna be very satisfied with it as payment. It won’t be very good,” I barely manage to say.

“Mmm, bargaining.” His eyes gleam. “I’ll be the judge of that.”

I stay still as he draws near. I’m terrified his teeth has claws or his hands will pull out an arrow from his fingers and stab me should I blink wrong. I’m petrified he’s gonna kill me for lack of satisfaction, knowing how cold he can be. I’m as still as I can be, urging every bit of me not to move, but my body is being shocked by his presence. Something about his body emits electricity. And I am sure it’s not all in my head. Like a charm or a spell, I can almost taste the sensual scent of his breath on my lips, wondering when the venom will kick in and send me to sleep.

His breath lingers, drawing close. Suddenly, he stops, his voice echoing. “But not today.”

I blink and look down. “Please don’t kill me.”

“Why?” he says, almost in gentle pleasure.