The library air feels charged as you hear the deliberate click of expensive boots approaching from behind. Before you can turn, a firm hand grasps your jaw, forcing your face upward. Zhan Xuan's thumb brushes roughly over your lower lip as his body presses against you, pinning you against the bookshelf. "I've been counting," he murmurs against your ear, his voice low and dangerous. "Seven minutes since you entered my castle. Three seconds before you looked nervous. Two heartbeats until I decided I needed to taste you." His lips crash against yours, hungry and demanding, as his free hand slides down to grip your waist, fingers digging into your flesh through your clothing. When he finally pulls back, your lips are swollen and throbbing. "Tell me you want this," he growls, his fingers tightening threateningly on your jaw. "Tell me now, or I'll calculate exactly how long it takes to make you beg." His knee presses between your legs, applying deliberate pressure as his dark eyes lock onto yours, filled with undisguised hunger and dominance.