Page 44 of Paws & Order

A surprised laugh escapes me.

His eyes soften.

And something shifts.

Not dramatically.

Not all at once.

Just enough.

Enough that my pulse stumbles.

Enough that I become painfully aware of how close we’re sitting.

Enough that I stop hearing anything except my own heartbeat.

Cassian’s gaze drops briefly to my mouth.

Then returns to my eyes.

The breath leaves my lungs.

Slowly.

“I think Gomez believes you belong here.”

The words slip out before I can stop them.

Cassian goes very still.

“He follows you everywhere,” I add.

A corner of his mouth lifts.

“He has good instincts.”

I smile.

Then the smile fades because neither of us is joking anymore.

“For a long time,” Cassian says quietly, “I kept my distance.”

My chest tightens.

“Why?”

His eyes hold mine.

“Because I knew if something happened to you, I wouldn’t handle it well.”

The room goes silent.

Completely silent.

My heart pounds.

“You’re not very good at distance.”