The words hung in the air, a low, husky promise that felt more dangerous than any threat I'd ever uttered. Are you ready for your real reward? My own voice sounded alien to me, a stranger's purr echoing in the suffocating quiet of Liza's living room. The question wasn't for her. It was for me. For the monster that was now wearing my skin, looking out through my eyes.
Liza's reaction was a masterpiece of beautiful, terrified submission. Her breath hitched, a tiny, audible gasp. Her wide, dazed eyes were locked on mine, two brown nebulas of shock and want. She couldn't speak. She didn't need to. Her entire body was a silent, screaming yes. The frantic, hummingbird flutter of the pulse in her throat was a confession. The way her lips parted, soft and trembling, was an invitation.
