na's bones. It was the kind of place where shadows softened sharp edges, where strang

uld hav

knew

eet refus

to shrink without either of them taking a step. His gaze was calm, unreadable, bu

dn't

er di

that made it

if giving her time to cha

gesturing to the em

steady. Not flirtat

na n

s

d, thick with unspoken thoughts. Regina could feel the warmth of his arm clos

don't belong here

oft, humorless

why

ng. It would have

ck," she said quiet

his expression. Not

gnit

e bartender. "

ed, then no

n her shoulders slowly ease, the noise around them fad

loudly," he said after a

tled. "You sound like you

d

eyes l

What kind of life carved that

she asked before she

pau

onight?"

inked.

ted calmly, "names

. The logic was d

not use them

amused flickered in

r lived in, books they loved but never finished, places that felt like escape

natural. When his fingers bru

ve remembered

fa

aiting to

he stood w

aid, not as a comman

lse th

she r

-

et, dimly lit, a world

n't ru

what br

she mattered-like her consent

stop," he

ook he

t desperate. It was careful. Dee

omething insi

time, she wasn

subs

oblig

just...

h. The world narrowed until there was nothing but the steady

beside him, listening to his breathing. She didn't

he dressed

without w

aused, one hand pr

appened*, she

away with

ust slept with the man sh