The mystery woman blinks her eyes, her long, dark eyelashes fluttering against her porcelain skin. She has freckles dotting her cheeks and nose, and I want to trace each one of them with my fingers. I want to memorize the pattern they make on her sweet face. I want to taste them.

Stop. It.

She breaks eye contact first. I take a breath for the first time since walking inside, pulling air into my lungs. The woman looks over my shoulder, then narrows her eyes. I can see her defenses snapping into place as she glares at Darren and then flits her eyes over to me.

Huffing out a breath,...