Elizabeth kept her weight against Aiden's side. His arm rested along the back of the seat, fingers lightly curved against her shoulder. Their joined hands lay still on his thigh.
The lock between them continued its even, unremarkable presence—warm enough to notice, quiet enough to ignore when they chose.
"I keep waiting for the moment this starts to feel like a temporary arrangement," she said. "Something we have to renegotiate every time the board schedule changes."
Aiden's fingers moved once along her shoulder. "It isn't temporary. We already decided that. The only thing left is to stop treating the decision like it needs constant renewal."
She turned her face toward him. In the low light the edges of his expression were clearer than the finer details. "I'm still learning how to do that. The old habit is loud."
"I know." He shifted just enough to bring his free hand up and rest it against the side of her neck, the same place she had touched earlier.
