s. It painted the city in silver streaks, turning pavement slick an

h it, letting the cold seep into her

appened in the

s unexpected presence at the hotel, demanding answers with that unreadable expression. And

't abou

even about

somethi

rtment, her wet clothes clinging to her skin. The halls were m

t carried her toward his office

idn't

n impassive, though something flickered in his eyes

a." His tone was calm, but she caug

ehind her. "I wasn't p

together. "And ye

st to the cold outside, and now that she was here, standin

ooking at her anymore, his attention shifting to a stack of documents,

k a ste

tch over me?" Her voice wa

ade hi

ted, sharp a

N

mach ti

hy

keep feeling like

ge, but she caught the brief pause-t

w l

led. "Since

le

en them, thick wit

g her as if piecing something togeth

n't aware I owed you

d in his gaze. Amu

pen, twirling it between his f

es. She hated that question. Hated

know," sh

e him pa

ssed. The

re you catch a cold," he

d react, he was

ugh that she could see the faint shadows und

feel the warmth

y folded towel resting on a chair. Had he k

, he hande

e taking it. "You keep

irk. "For occas

ut a breath of laughter, the

idn't step ba

er di

shifted-the quiet weight of s

e turned away, walking back to

d, gripping the

e," she

he didn't ha

ai

gers, but it did nothing to stop the slow,

still filled the space, heavy and distracting. She shou

e didn

abric instead of the fact that, for the first time, Christopher Miller had looked at h

"You didn't

m over his shoulder, his expre

why you

breath and turned fully, leaning against hi

ricking at her. "Then why did you come to the

"I don't like una

not an

gh his nose. "You were involved in somethin

gers tw

But it wasn't the

enough to f

losing the distance betwe

to her, dark and

head. "No, you

d, but he didn't move aw

he didn't stop. "Because I don't know

he thought he'd say something cutting, som

he d

in his posture shif

er than before, he said, "

eath h

eting him, Christopher wasn

ver of vulnerability peeking th

ire had

d somethi

hey were now, the space between the

han before. "Do you always

d unreadable. Then, finally, he murmured, "

r chest, heavier than

k away. She sh

he di

, the pull between them stronger than bef

was watching her

decide if stepping clo

lse pounded

ould cross that invisible lin

both

shifting in an instant-walls slammin

self to step back

h and composed when

lancing between the two of them before clearing their

at her as he replied, "I

ing. The door shut again, a

et out a

just happened

as back to be