Jolie jerked her hand back instinctively, but before she could fully retreat, her wrist was firmly caught in a hot, unyielding grip.

Startled, she looked up and found Gavin awake, his dark, piercing gaze locked onto hers. She hadn't even noticed when he'd opened his eyes, but now he was staring at her with an intensity that made her skin prickle. ""Mr. Cooper, you're awake?"

Forcing a stiff smile, she tried to play it off casually, her tone light but betraying her unease.

"What were you doing?" His voice was deep, steady, and laced with suspicion as his sharp eyes bore into her.

"I saw you were asleep and thought I'd just let myself out to head home," she explained quickly. "I didn't mean to touch you. It was an accident. My apologies."

Her flustered tone melted into something more composed, her lips curling into a picture-perfect smile. The shift was almost seamless like a sly little fox slipping its mask back on. One moment she was frazzled; the next, she was polite and poised, as though nothing had happened.

Gavin didn't let go of her wrist.

In the dim light, it was hard to read his expression, but his grip remained firm.

"I brought you back here, and you were just going to leave without a word?"

Jolie blinked, caught off guard by his question.

What was that supposed to mean?

Was he upset?

Her fingers curled slightly, and she struggled to explain, "I... I did call your name, but you didn't wake up."

you're

Jolie was speechless.

presence seemed to intensify, pressing down on her. Her wrist remained in his grasp, and the awkward angle was beginning to make her

hoping to defuse whatever had upset him. "I just didn't want to disturb

me," he interrupted, his voice cold and devoid of

she was being pinned in place, and the tension in the small space was suffocating. Jolie

What was his problem?

mood, but all she saw was an impenetrable darkness.

any man she'd ever

serious, and

in, but up

distant

now, he was

cold, but

he was unreasonably gripping her wrist, pressing her with questions that left her no room to

limit. She tried to pull her wrist free and said, "Mr. Cooper, could

hint of mockery." If I let

What?

filled with

did he just

was up to

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