"Don’t be ridiculous," Issac said, offering a small, dry laugh that didn't quite reach his eyes. "There isn't any formal 'status' between Natalie Pierce and me. I’m just a contractor in her eyes, and she’s a woman who values order above all else."
Avery wiped the remaining dampness from her cheeks, her expression shifting from grief to a sudden, impulsive curiosity. Maybe it was the Reserve Bourbon talking, or maybe it was the raw vulnerability of the moment, but she looked up at him, her head tilted slightly. "Then... what do you think of me, Issac? Honestly."
Issac leaned back, his gaze sweeping over her with a deliberate, analytical slowness. He took in the sharp line of her jaw, the fire still simmering behind her tear-stained eyes, and the way her Shield Vardr uniform, though slight
