Amara.
I returned to the table, heart still racing from the bathroom encounter. The heat of his lips lingered, impossible to ignore.
My hands trembled slightly as I took my seat, smooth and careful, pretending everything was normal. Lucien was already there, watching me.
I could feel the weight of his gaze, dark and claiming, even across the polished wood and crystal glasses.
Selene was speaking, polite and measured, but I barely heard her. My pulse thudded in my ears.
Every movement he made, every subtle shift of posture, drew my attention like gravity. I noticed the way his jacket rested on the back of his chair, the faint trace of his scent lingering in the air around me.
Lucien spoke to someone across the table, voice low and calm, but my focus stayed on him. On his hands, large
