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“If I were a thief, do you not think I would have robbed you of some valuables you possess?” He raised his eyebrows at the last two words, before glancing quite brazenly at her bosom.

She gasped once again and quickly threw her hands over her chest, as though to protect it from his unruly eyes.

Edwin laughed. “Does this mean you fear me now?” he asked.

She must have realized what he was doing because she dropped her hands to her sides and stared at him defiantly.

“On the contrary, I am not afraid of you. There is nothing to be afraid of,” she asserted.

The fire in her eyes as she dared him and the way she jutted her chin thrilled him.

It had been long since anyone had such an effect on him. He didn’t see her defiance as a deterrent. Rather, it was a dare for him to get closer to her and explore beneath her hard surface.

He decided to honor her invitation and closed the distance between them.

He was towering over her now and looking directly into her eyes. And yet her eyes were still fierce and daring.

“Are you sure about that?” he asked.

An emotion he could not place flickered across her face, and her eyes softened. He could feel her breath on his neck, and for some reason, that excited him to no end. Her ocean-blue eyes entranced him as he stared into them, and for a moment, he forgot that he was supposed to taunt her.

He could have sworn that she tilted her face up to his, as though asking for a kiss. However, in the next moment, she broke eye contact and cleared her throat as she stepped back from him.

“You must let me pass,” she said, looking away from him. “I am looking for my sister.”

He did not say a word in response. He simply studied her, how her hardened exterior had given way to a nervous one.

“You seem unsettled,” he noted curiously. “Why is that?”

Instead of responding, however, she tried to slip past him.

Edwin was a huge man, and as a result, it was a rather impossible task for her. Therefore, she had no choice but to stand in front of him unceremoniously, exasperated, her eyes pleading.

“I suppose if you ask nicely enough, I can attempt to get out of your way.”

She sighed. “All right. Your Grace, would you be so kind as to let me pass?”

Ava stood there, flustered and unsure of what to do. She did not quite understand the effect he had on her, and she had even been terrified out of her wits when she had found herself lost in his eyes for a moment.

She needed to get away from this passageway, fromhim. She felt like prey, cornered by the most dangerous predator. She needed to clear her head, and she could not do that if he was so near that she could touch him.

That was the reason why she did not hesitate to beg him to step out of her way.

He gave a wickedly delicious smile that told her he was enjoying her discomfort a little too much.

Finally, he stepped out of the way, and for the first time, she could see a door at the other end of the passageway. She was certain that she would find her sister behind that door.

She made to leave. However, the passageway was so narrow that she could not possibly step past him without touching him. Eventhough he was pressed against the wall, she still found it hard to move to the other side. And so their bodies brushed as she tried to move forward.

Ava’s senses were heightened, and she could feel every inch of her body that touched his.

Her bosom brushed his ribs, and her nose grazed his neck, which smelled so delicious. She was dazed for a moment.

You have your sister to look for, Ava!

She snapped herself out of it immediately. It was, however, hard to ignore how delicious his body felt against hers, how she could tell that he was ripped and muscular just by the taut contours of his stomach.

He, on the other hand, did not seem so discomfited. Rather, he seemed to be enjoying her struggles a little too much. In fact, he had a wicked smile on his face, and that infuriated her to no end.