***Cassius***
The shop felt too small after Aldrik left.
Too quiet, too empty, the air still heavy with the lingering scent of his pheromones mixing with mine in ways that made my skin feel too tight.
I stood pressed against the counter for a long time after the door closed, my hands gripping the edge hard enough that my knuckles went white, trying to get my breathing under control.
He'd almost kissed me.
That thought kept circling through my mind, refusing to be dismissed or rationalized away. Aldrik had leaned in, his eyes on my mouth, close enough that I'd felt his breath against my skin, and for one suspended moment I'd been absolutely certain he was going to close that last inch of distance.
And I'd wanted him to.
