Seraphine's smile was steady, but there was a faint crease between her brows that refused to disappear, a quiet sign that something about the way he kept calling her his donner wasn't sitting right with her, even if she didn't fully understand why yet, and still, she reminded herself to stay focused, to play along, to keep everything moving exactly the way it needed to.
Santiago stood across from her, his gaze moving over her slowly, intensely, taking in every detail and committing it to memory, and the look in his eyes carried a kind of hunger that made her skin prickle despite the composed expression she kept in place.
"You are beautiful," he said, his voice smooth, as he extended his hand toward her.
Seraphine hesitated for the briefest moment, just enough for her pulse to tighten in her chest, before placing her hand in his, her fingers cool against his warmth as he closed his grip around hers.
