CHRISTOF
Her jaw tightened. She stared past me, at the window, at the skyline, anywhere but my face.
“It’s a one-time thing,” I added, because clarity mattered. “And before your imagination runs off a cliff, nothing about it crosses into intimacy. There are lines. This stays well on the polite side of them.”
Silence.
“Relax,” I said, tone even, almost bored. “You look like you’re about to lunge across the desk.”
She didn’t answer. Still didn’t look at me. Her eyes remained fixed over my shoulder. Admirable focus.
I leaned back. Flexed my fingers, regained control of the room the way I always did, with calm.
“I need him amenable,” I continued. “That’s it. You’re not bait, you’re not leverage. You’re… ambiance.” I paused, then corrected myself. “No. That sounded worse than I meant. Yo
