He wasn’t prepared for it. One moment they were speaking, the next her fingers hooked into his collar and tugged him forward. The motion was sudden but not rough, pulling him just enough to close the distance between them. His body reacted before his mind did, and suddenly they were close—too close—for anything to feel casual.
Her face hovered inches from his, her breath brushing across his lips as she spoke softly, deliberately slow. Each word came wrapped in warmth, so near that he couldn’t decide if she was speaking or teasing him with the space she refused to close. Her grip on his collar held him steady, keeping him locked in place as though she knew he wouldn’t dare to step back.
He felt the fabric of his shirt tighten beneath her hand, felt the heat of her presence pressing against his restraint. Her eyes lingered on him, searching, daring, waiting for a reaction he was too shaken to give. And when she finally let go, it wasn’t release—it was a reminder. Because even without her hand, the weight of her nearness still pinned him exactly where she wanted.