The silence between them grew thick, charged with an unspoken tension that made the ambient temperature in the room feel suffocatingly warm. Lucy’s fingers remained lightly brushed against the sleeve of Brian’s suit jacket, waiting for him to break.
Then, it happened.
Like a bucket of ice water crashing down on an open flame, Brian’s professional training kicked back in. His dark eyes widened slightly in the dim light as reality flooded his senses.
With a sudden, sharp breath, he abruptly stood up, instantly removing himself from her touch. He took two large strides backward, retreating deep into the shadows near the window where his towering posture turned rigid, formal, and completely unreadable once more.
He was putting the mask back on.
When he spoke, he used his deep, formal "sec
