Mike let out a short, dry exhale, a sound that was almost a laugh, but not quite. He looked down at her, his eyes filled with a terrifying, amused pity.
"Is that it, Professor?" he asked, his voice smooth and entirely unruffled. "That was your 'expert' technique?"
'You're working harder than a man trying to start a fire in a monsoon!"
"You haven't even made me twitch."
Sabrina slumped back, her hands trembling and exhausted, her breath coming in shallow, broken sobs of frustration. She felt utterly defeated, her bravado stripped away, leaving her raw and exposed.
"You... you're a monster," she whispered, her eyes welling with tears of pure, indignant exhaustion.
Mike reached down, his large hand covering hers, his touch surprisingly gentle compared to the mockery in his voice.
"No, Sabrina," he murmured, his gaze darkening with a sudden, intense hunger. "A monster is what happens when you finally stop trying to control the storm and just let it drown you."
