Julian Gray's POV
"There's a nice Italian place two blocks away," Elena said, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. "Quiet, good food, not too expensive."
"Sounds perfect."
I walked beside her as we left her office building, and I couldn't help but notice how she maintained a careful distance between us. Not hostile, exactly, but definitely cautious. The afternoon sun caught the highlights in her hair, and for a moment I was back in college, walking across campus with her after late study sessions. She was always beautiful, but she was definitely more mature now in beauty.
We walked to the restaurant in comfortable silence. Elena seemed more relaxed than I saw her since I found her again, though that wasn't saying much.
The Italian restaurant was exactly as she described. It wa
