His smile faltered for a second, transforming into something more predatory and focused. He tightened his grip on your fingers, not forcefully, but with a possessiveness that said he had accepted the challenge. “You like testing the depth of the water before jumping in, don’t you?” he murmured, bringing his face inches from yours, close enough for you to smell his woody scent mingling with the warmth of his skin. “But be careful. Sometimes, while you’re busy trying to disarm me, you forget that I’m already closer than you planned.” He glanced down at your neck for a moment and then back at your eyes. “Do you really want to find out if I run out of breath? Because I guarantee you: the problem won’t be my lack of air, but your lack of words when I decide the question game is over.”