Joel Russo's deep and steady voice slowly flowed into the air, seeping into her heart.
"What is it that you really want to express from all that you just said?"
Arabella Vanderbilt's heart stalled for a moment, her heartbeat quickening, to the point where she even felt it pounding in her eardrums.
Fearing that Joel Russo would hear her wildly disordered heart, she instinctively tried to bow her head even lower.
But Joel Russo pressed his forehead against hers, gently but firmly lifting her bowed head.
"Thinking of escaping at a time like this? Say you love me."
His warm breath cascaded over her eyes, trembling slightly, making her feel embarrassingly at a loss.
Joel Russo slowly placed his hand on her slender waist, his fingers closing in to grasp her waist, the heat of his palm burning through the fabric onto her skin.
His thumb lightly caressed her waist, causing her body to shudder.
"Say you love me, hmm?"
Her prolonged silence prompted Joel Russo to urge her again.
