Chapter 56 Chapter 56
Luke's eyes narrowed. Then he moved—faster than she could track—and suddenly she was backed against the wall, his body caging hers in without quite touching.
He bent down so his face was level with hers, and this close she could see the flecks of amber in his dark eyes, could count his eyelashes, could feel the heat radiating from his skin.
"Don't underestimate me," he said softly, and it wasn't a warning. It was a promise.
His hand came up, wrapping around her small neck. Not squeezing, not yet, just resting there—a collar of flesh and bone that could crush with barely any pressure.
"You're trouble," Luke murmured, his thumb pressing slightly against her pulse point. "Do you understand that? What if I killed you right now? Snapped your neck. Made you disappear."
He tightened his grip just enough for her to feel it, enough to remind her how fragile she was, how easily he could end this. It was tempting and it took restraint not to do it but she didn’t know that, no one knows.
Caroline didn't flinch. Didn't pull away. Didn't do any of the sensible things a person should do when someone has their hand around their throat.
Instead, she stared at his face like a woman hypnotized, her eyes tracing the line of his jaw, the angle of his cheekbones, the way his hair fell across his forehead, ignoring the sinister look in his eyes.
"What if I took advantage of you?" Luke continued, his voice dropping even lower. "Right here. Right now. Would you finally be scared then?"
His hand left her neck, slowly unzipping her hoodie, slowly revealing her cleavage. While his other hand gripped her ass as he pressed himself against her. She gasped and he immediately took advantage of her opened mouth, pressing his thumb against her tongue.
Still, Caroline just stared.
Something flickered across Luke's face—frustration, amusement, maybe both—and he released her abruptly, stepping back like she'd burned him.
He ran both hands through his hair, the gesture almost violent in its intensity, and turned away from her toward the food she'd brought.
He opened the container, revealing perfectly formed burgers that definitely came from a restaurant.
Luke looked over at her, one eyebrow raised.
"Okay, fine!" Caroline blurted out, her composure finally cracking. She started pacing, gesticulating wildly. "I tried to cook. I really did! I watched like, fifteen YouTube videos and followed the instructions exactly, but somehow everything just—it went wrong! The vegetables wouldn't chop right, and something started smoking, and the smoke alarm went off, and I—" She threw her hands up in defeat. "I ordered them instead. I'm sorry. I'm completely incompetent in the kitchen."
Luke stared at her for a moment. Then, to Caroline's complete shock, he chuckled.
It was quiet, barely there, but definitely a chuckle. His shoulders shook slightly with it, and when he looked at her again, there was something almost fond in his expression.
She looked cute, he realized. Pacing back and forth, confessing her kitchen disasters like they were serious crimes, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
"Come on," he said, picking up the food and heading toward the living room.
Caroline followed, watching as he set everything on the coffee table. He disappeared for a moment, returning with a glass of wine for her and water for himself.
They sat on opposite ends of the couch—a careful distance maintained.
"You don't drink?" Caroline asked, watching him take a sip of water.
"No."
"Why not?"
"I don't like not being in control of myself," Luke said simply
He started eating, and Caroline found herself just... watching. The way he moved was economical, precise. No wasted motion. Everything controlled.
"Are you going to eat?" Luke asked without looking up.
"I ate before coming," Caroline lied. She was a sloppy eater and didn’t want to embarrass herself in front of him, plus she wouldn’t be able to look at him if she ate.
He continued eating, and she continued staring.
"So," Caroline said after a moment of silence. "Tell me about yourself. Your work. Your family. Friends?"
"Classified."
"What? Come on, you can't just—"
"Classified," he repeated.
Caroline pouted, crossing her arms. "Fine. Do you have a girlfriend?"
Luke nearly choked on his burger.
Caroline took advantage of his surprise, sliding closer on the couch. "I mean, you're obsessed with me anyway, so why not take the chance?"
Luke moved away, putting distance between them. He didn’t like being cornered by a naïve human.
Caroline closed the distance.
He moved to the end of the couch.
She followed, eliminating the space again until they were pressed together at the corner of the couch with nowhere left for him to go.
"I thought you didn't like younger guys," Luke said, his voice strained, her perfume filling his nose.
"People can change their minds," Caroline said softly.
She reached up, her fingers gentle as she tucked his long hair behind his ear. Luke froze, every muscle in his body going rigid. He wasn’t use to being touched by people, especially not human who doesn’t know what she’s getting herself into.
"Think about it," Caroline whispered, her hand sliding down to rest on his abdomen, feeling the muscle tense beneath her palm.
Then she leaned in and pressed her lips to his throat—not quite a kiss, more like a brand. A promise. A challenge. He held a groan.
And before Luke could respond, before he could push her away or pull her closer or do any of the thousand things warring in his head, Caroline stood up and walked to the door.
She looked back once, meeting his eyes across the apartment.
"Goodnight, stalker," she said with a smile that was pure danger.
Then she was gone, leaving Luke sitting alone on his couch, his hand pressed to where her lips had touched his throat, his mind racing and his control in absolute tatters.
Outside his window, the moon was rising—full and bright and calling to the wolf in his blood.
And Luke couldn't decide which was more dangerous: the moon's pull, or the way Caroline Martinez made him want to forget every rule he'd ever lived by.
“Idiot”.