Chapter 376
Sienna’s body went stiff, and Jarred felt it. He let out a low chuckle.
The laugh rumbled from deep within his throat, carrying a dangerous sense of satisfaction.
“Darling, it would be effortless for me to step in. But rather than bearing a little bad press and securing what I desperately want, I heavily prefer the latter p>
Sienna shoved him away hard, stumbling back two steps as her chest heaved.
She glared at him, her eyes practically shooting fire. “I have never met anyone as shameless as you p>
Jarred reached out, gently tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear. His touch was so tender it felt like he was handling fragile glass.
As he brushed the hair away, the heat from his fingertips made the tip of her ear burn red.
“And I hope you never have to see exactly how shameless I can be p>
It was a blatant threat, aggressive and direct.
At that moment, Sienna completely lost her temper, laughing in sheer fury.
Just as Jarred lowered his gaze, fully believing he was in control of the situation, Sienna abruptly raised her hand, gathering every ounce of her strength.
Smack!
A loud, stinging slap landed squarely on his cheek.
Jarred froze, his handsome face thrown to the side by the impact.
The warm sting rapidly blossomed into a sharp, clear ache.
The calculating dominance and obsession in his dark eyes instantly vanished, replaced by a bottomless void.
Jarred slowly turned his head back.
He ran his tongue along the inside of his stung cheek, tasting the faint metallic tang of blood.
He looked at Sienna. There wasn’t a trace of anger in his eyes.
Instead, something far more dangerous was slowly brewing.
It was the thrill of being challenged.
The instinctual, primal excitement a predator feels when its prey suddenly bares its fangs.
How many times had this woman slapped him now?
A faint smile slowly curled the corners of Jarred’s lips.
The smile lingered lightly, yet held zero warmth.
Wrapped in thick, inescapable darkness and danger, it was chilling enough to make one’s blood run cold.
“Darling,” he rasped, his voice dropping low, husky, and filled with dangerous mockery. You really have a thing for slapping men, don’t you p>
Sienna held her breath.
It wasn’t because of how terrifying his words were, but because she knew him too well.
She knew exactly what kind of undercurrent was violently churning beneath that expression.
This man’s gentleness was genuine, but when he went ruthless, he was truly terrifying.
She maintained eye contact, not flinching or looking away, and a smile slowly bloomed on her lips.
Her smile was even colder than his, enough to make anyone’s stomach knot in dread.
“I was just wondering the same thing,” she said, lifting her chin slightly, her voice eerily can. Why does that face of yours always look like it’s begging for a hit p>
A low, icy chuckle slipped past Jarred’s lips.
The sound wasn’t loud, but it seeped into her bones like freezing water.
Sienna’s heart sank, and she instinctively took a half-step back.
Just as she turned to escape this suffocating, confined space, a firm, muscular hand clamped down ruthlessly on her wrist.
Caught off guard by the sheer force, she was yanked violently backward.
The weightless feeling vanished in a flash as her back slammed heavily against the cold, hard wall.
The biting chill of the wall mixed with a sharp jolt of pain tearing through her body forcing a mufflécha groan from her lips.
“Ah p>
But before her pained gasp could fully fade into the air, it was completely swallowed by the man’s suddenly descending lips.
Jarred lunged at her the second she hit the wall.
One hand pinned her wrist against the plaster, while his other arm braced against the wall beside her ear.
Like an impenetrable fortress, he trapped her securely in the middle.