Isadora didn''t have time to look away.


    She''d walked right into his gaze, catching the full weight of it before she could prepare herself.


    Her heart skipped a beat.


    She quickly turned her head, like a student caught daydreaming in ss, embarrassment coloring her cheeks.


    How could this man be so perceptive, even with his eyes closed?


    Isadora pressed her lips together, forcing herself to stare straight ahead.


    Victor, meanwhile, noticed the delicate blush that spread across her pale cheeks, even the tips of her ears turning rosy.


    He couldn''t resist; his hand reached out, gently pinching her enticing earlobe.


    A jolt ran through Isadora at his touch, leaving her ear tingling.


    "Did you need something from me?" she asked, trying to sound casual.


    Victor fixed her with a smoldering look, his voice dropping to that deliberately wicked tone he seemed to enjoy. "Come keep mepany in bed."


    Isadora''s face flushed a deep crimson.


    Unbelievable. The man was incorrigible!


    She instinctively pressed her knees together, her voice shaking despite her best efforts. "Here? People areing and going. I really don''t think... it''s appropriate."


    "What''s wrong with here?" Victor''s lips curled into a mischievous grin. He hooked a finger under her chin, tilting her face up to meet his. "Didn''t you just say you''d do whatever I asked?"


    Isadora pressed herself against the car door, her hand against his chest, trying to put some distance between them. "Don''t... don''t mess around."


    Victor chuckled softly. "Scaredy-cat."


    With that, he stretched out andy down, resting his head on Isadora''sp, his long legs crossedfortably.


    "Miss Vaughan, is that really all you ever think about?"


    Isadora blinked, momentarily confused-then realized she''d been yed.


    He''d meant exactly what he''d said: he wanted her to literally keep himpany while he slept.


    Victor''s voice was rich with amusement, clearly enjoying himself. He was throwing her own words back at her, teasing her for her earlier promise.


    What a piece of work.


    Victor closed his eyes, his voice now tinged with fatigue. "If I can''t satisfy you today, and you really can''t wait, maybe you should take matters into your own hands."


    Isadora''s eyes flew wide. She enunciated each word, indignant: "I am not that desperate!"


    She huffed and turned away, refusing to look at him.


    After a while, the car grew quiet, filled only with the soft, steady rhythm of Victor''s breathing.


    The cramped space seemed to shut out the chaos of the world, wrapping them in a rare, peaceful silence.


    Isadora nced down.


    She found herself studying Victor''s strikingly handsome face-wless and rxed in sleep.


    With his eyes closed, some of his usual sharpness faded, leaving him looking unexpectedly approachable, almost gentle.


    She noticed faint shadows beneath his eyes.


    Had he been exhaustedtely?


    Without thinking, she reached out, wanting to brush her fingers over his face.


    But the moment her hand grazed the short hair at his temple, she jerked it back, startled by her own boldness.


    For thest two weeks, she''d spent her days alone, quietly wrestling with her decision.


    She already knew it in her heart: it was time to end things.


    But now, with Victor so close and peaceful beside her, she thought... maybe she''d wait a little longer.


    ...


    Isadora woke slowly, blinking herself out of a dream, only to realize at some point she''d drifted off too.


    Their positions had changed. Now, she was lying with her head in Victor''sp.


    Victor was scrolling through his phone, the screen casting flickering light over his sharply defined features.


    At the sound of her stirring, Victor set his phone aside and looked down at her.


    "You''re awake?"


    Isadora sat up, suddenly self-conscious. "I... I must have fallen asleep."


    Victor''s low, velvety voice wasced withughter. "So much for keeping mepany. You slept like a log. What a diva."


    He grinned. "Maybe I should start calling you Piggy Vaughan."


    "I did not! You could''ve woken me up," she protested.


    She looked up and met his dark, smoldering gaze, as deep and restless as the sea at midnight.


    Inside the car, the air seemed to grow warmer, tension crackling between them.


    Maybe it was just from having just woken up, but Isadora''s mouth felt dry and her skin flushed with heat.


    "I, um... I should get going," she stammered.