hat strikes - it's laughter, an

lf smiling before

wrapped around hers, warm,

ke you're plotting their downfal

- and amusement -

it," he answered smoothly, a corner of his mouth

the tension loosening its

ay of showing interes

d a brow,

his voice in that way that sen

look mysterious

er it seriously, tappin

ut an inch away f

low, throaty laugh that

his l

sn't

devas

ad, still smiling. "Maybe you can give me

ning terrifying strangers into semi-d

ng everything about her - the humor, the s

elling me I'

gerous twinkle

amatically, hand over her heart. "Yo

the sound rolling ou

didn't touch her, she could fee

llenges then?

t them - the ambient music, the clinking gla

ing hers, and her heart, p

she whispered, almo

ng shif

into something heavier, something that

something else - something she w

la

full of chaotic energy as he stumble

ed back, masking whatever h

azed, trying to

s to the way the air practically cra

r shoulder like the overe

ge - he's got some amazing oppo

ll feeling the phantom h

... o

ce - to find Alexander watching

isn't

____

en two people crackles lou

en minutes talking to

, sure - but her m

g across the

xan

in her mind felt

he crowd almost against her will - and foun

a cre

used, hu

was stud

gh by heart and wanted to me

d away, heat bloo

distracted in another conversation

, appearing out of nowhere, h

startled - a

she asked, qu

ll, devastatingly

u strike me as more of a whis

d at him, h

e said somethi

have teased

r fingers brushing for a second too long

rself," she said finally, v

er like she was the most fasci

rong," he sai

, her eyes nev

is

oo

a

gh to burn

her - she

st to balance the universe," she

ed, the sound de

id, voice curling around her lik

laughter and something else

en know me,"

ng, but so close she could fe

t," he

und them disa

ean and expensive and something purely male - and the sharp

as not

as som

her as much as

ghtly, trying to fi

ayful note into her voice, "good luck surviving a c

r's eyes

getting my hands fu

hat, her knees

us, half wild - and shoo

rouble,"

replied, sm

ou're still s

a retort - something witty, some

he was

till stan

wasn't

___

ss that ruins you - som

a little, the once-crowded n

ground, blending into the hush of clin

and soft, like the universe its

glass still in hand, Alexander somehow still the

- books she loved, places he wanted to vi

easing and sharp, but beneath

ing wa

real, open laugh that lit up h

cond, he just

torts, no te

.. lo

inting he couldn'

g the weight of his

e asked, v

ightly, a slow, almo

, then stopped, his vo

somethin

eeks f

t know wh

ed between them, hu

giving her every chance to stop

just shy

touc

he warmth radiating off him, the invis

her face - near her hair

dn't

n't ha

ost was

rt pound so hard she wa

ire body aching toward him - bu

es a

less i

over into something neither of them could undo

ey're doin

blinking like she was

ed his hand, bu

ed onto hers - b

allowe

e started, voice

ng back just enou

e said

n't dis

st searing glance - he let

toward her brother, s

dy wasn't

lfe had touc

w, touched

____

rints on your soul without

ide home

, the city lights dragging

- him - near her, close enough to br

ldn't ha

just a

tra

t it

was

s som

g under her skin, refu

hone

am, probably abou

dn't a

coul

somewhere between the gallery walls and the qu

ut through the ni

ember giving his d

still wrapp

sharp laugh and wh

like she didn't know

him like he could burn her

his hands in hi

man used

lann

omma

lara - was wild and chaot

't touc

't even

e wan

e want

oblem he wasn't s

m moved through thei

ped her clutch on the table, an

t bother

onto her bed, hea

t, loosened his tie, poured a gl

nd his penthouse windows

he could s

for their journa

tethered to each other

's Jo

ll just happ

n - not me

nto hi

s a m

artb

r than the city o

or the first time - and

idn't eve

t feel lik

the words, h

the j

across

der's

I forgot every de

and I forgot my

is

s p

ld wal

fford dis

t

ev

econd she

eady

scre

e journal shu

ned out the lights, eve

op replaying the soft, stub

er eyes when s

ch he hadn't l

nted

a long time, he wasn't s