EMILE

The whispered words, "You look beautiful," sent a shiver down my spine, a sensation I tried desperately to ignore. My heart hammered against my ribs, betraying the calm I attempted to project.

"You shouldn't be in here," I managed, my voice a little too breathy, my hands fumbling with the last strands of my hair. Every instinct screamed at me to control the tremor in my body, to deny the potent pull he still held.

He stepped closer, his presence a heavy weight in the room. "I couldn't help myself, not with you looking like that."

"You should leave before someone sees you in here," I insisted, though my conviction wavered. The air crackled with unspoken history, a dangerous current I longed to escape.

His question cut through the tension, sharp and direct. "Do you still love me?"

"No," I lied, the word tasting bitter on my tongue.

"Why do I find that hard to believe?" He chuckled, a low, rumbling sound that resonated deep within me.

"Stay away from me!" I shoved his hands off, a futile gesture against his unwavering grip.

"We can leave the states, Emile," he whispered, pulling me closer still. "I'm willing to drop everything right now and start over with you."

I squeezed my eyes shut, picturing Jason's kind face. "I love Jason and I'm sure I will be very happy with him."

"Is that really what you want, Emile?" His voice was a seductive murmur against my ear.

"Yes," I whispered, the lie almost convincing even to myself.

"Your eyes say otherwise," he countered, and then, his lips brushing my ear, he breathed, "marry me instead."