“Eight,” he whispered, his lips brushing against her ear as his long fingers playfully caressed the bare skin exposed by her slightly raised shirt.

  “Seven,” he said, his voice dropping deeper as he leaned closer to where he could hear her heartbeat.

  “Six.” His alluring lips curved into a faint smirk as he felt her body respond beneath his touch—a subtle, involuntary arch of her back that betrayed the composure she desperately tried to uphold.

  His fingers pressed a little firmer against her skin, sliding higher and teasing the edge of control. “Five?” he murmured, biting her ear. His voice was low and intoxicating, as if someone Blair had only seen in a romance movie possessed him.

  “Ezra…” she murmured.

  He instantly pulled his hand back, slowly creating distance between them. “Sorry,” he said in a sincere tone. He shifted slightly to increase the space between them, his gaze flickering over her face as he read every nuance of her reaction. “Am I making you uncomfortable?”

  Blair stared at his face, then down at his hands, as if scrutinizing every inch of him before she said, “I mean, why are you counting so slowly?”

  Ezra froze for a moment, his lips parting in disbelief before his expression shifted, morphing into something she couldn’t comprehend. His sharp jaw tensed, and his eyes smoldered with an intensity that replaced his usual teasing smirk with a look that was unmistakably hungry, as if he could barely restrain himself. Every inch of him radiated desire.

  “Close your eyes,” his low, growling voice vibrated through her as he commanded.

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  Blair’s breath hitched, and her heart raced at the sheer authority in his tone. Every instinct told her; she had unleashed the beast within him. For the first time, she wasn’t sure if she trusted her own decision.

  While she was still deep in thought, he stood up abruptly with a swift movement, resembling a predator closing in on its prey. In one fluid motion, he lifted her effortlessly, her body pressed against his chest, before gently placing her down on the swivel chair.

  The chair groaned under the sudden shift in weight, but Blair hardly noticed, too caught up in the forceful yet intimate action. Not even when he knelt on the ground and removed her heels slowly and deliberately.

  “Ah… Ezra!” she gasped, catching her breath as his lips brushed against her ankle while he held her feet gently, as if they were a precious treasure, his eyes filled with raw desire. “What… are you doing? I thought you were just going to kiss me on the lips.”

  “I told you to close your eyes, but you didn’t listen.” His blue eyes darkened as he looked up. Suddenly, a sharp bite above her ankle sent a jolt of electricity through her body, making her heart almost leap from her chest. His lips curled into a smirk as he traced the spot he had just bitten with his tongue. “Now,” he said hoarsely, “just enjoy the show.”

  The beat of her pulse echoed in her ears, synching with the gentle hum of the song she had just sung, Dudum de dum. It was as if the music itself mirrored the rapid thumping of her heart, creating an odd, almost magical connection between the two. Each moment felt suspended in time, her body reacting to the rhythm, unsure whether to lean into it or pull away. But one thing she was sure about—this was a once-in-a-blue-moon moment. She had never imagined she could make someone like Ezra, the ever-composed monk, react this way.

  As the playful tension between them continued to escalate on the olive-colored leather couch, he suddenly pulled back and picked up his phone. “Send a soft mattress, pillow, and blanket to my office right now,” he said smoothly. She blinked, a wave of realization crashing over her. Oh no, she thought, I'm dead, she muttered under her breath, suddenly acutely aware of how dangerous the situation was about to become.