“You’re supposed to be fearless, aren’t you?” Alaric lightly brushed Lena’s wrist with his fingers, his gaze lazily drifting from her hand upward. His tone was casual, almost teasing. “Or is being alone with me stirring up some pleasant memories?”
The atmosphere between them had always been subtle, ambiguous, and unspeakable.
His eyes lingered on her faintly flushed cheeks for a moment, pausing there for a few seconds longer than intended. What started as an attempt to tease her and ease the tension took an unexpected turn.
Almost instinctively, the back of his hand grazed her face.
Lena flinched as if electrocuted, immediately turning her head away. “Stop being so full of yourself.”
Yet her racing heartbeat betrayed her.
Meanwhile, Max, the dog they had both been ignoring, circled t
