Kelsey took a deep, shaky breath and stayed quiet. Her eyes were fixed on the floor, her fingers nervously pressing down on the cold metal of the lighter.
The flame between them still danced.
Rhett, though, was the picture of calm.
He leaned in, way too close, his stare locking onto Kelsey with an intensity that felt like a challenge. The cigarette caught, a thin line of white smoke curling into the air.
You could almost hear the tobacco sizzle. In the flickering light, his features looked sharper, more dangerous, like a statue carved from shadow.
This close, Kelsey could see every hard angle of his jawline.
She tried to look away, to escape that gaze, but his hand shot out, forcing her face back to his.
His eyes were pure fire.
Even as he took a slow drag from the cigarette, he never blinked, never looked away. He inhaled deeply, then let the thick, gray smoke roll out, blowing it right into her face.
"Cough! Cough!"
