Frozen Desire

y as she entered. She greeted the barista with a cheerful smile, her v

asked, her eyes crinkling with a quiet kindness. She loved the familiar routine, the comf

its vibrancy alive in the flicker of passing cars and the hum of voices mingling in the streets. The night air had grown cooler, and she could see the leaves outside dancing

at tighter against her shoulders, her though

t of falling into his lap, but there was more to it than that. His aloofness. The way he'd held her in place without so much as a flicker of emotion. And yet, h

something about him-his indifference, his calm detachment-that made her want to know more, even if she knew it was dangerou

e smiled softly, thanking the barista as she wrapped her hands around the warm cup. Taking a sip, she let the rich flavor an

outside the window, she couldn't shake the feeling that

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ew the attention of the patrons, but his gaze was already locked onto her. There she was, sitting at a small table by the window, the soft g

over her smaller form when he reached her, the air between them crackling with a tension neither could deny. With

id, his voice low and smooth,

Wait... it's you again?" she stammered, her voice faltering. "Uhm... hi." She quickly dropp

der his attention. A low, husky chuckle rumbled in the back of his throat. "The one and only,"

r. "I'll have an Americano," he called out, his tone casua

ving intensity, a part of him fascinated by her unease and the way her posture had shifted. There was something about her-something that h

're here?" She raised an eyebrow, her voice laced with uncertainty but also a hint of curiosity. "I did say sorry." She took another sip, her eyes not leaving him as she waited for his

being too forward in wonderi

. His gaze was unyielding, as if he were studying every small, deliberate motion. "No re

, his fingers lightly tapping against the porcelain. He didn't break eye contact with her. "You piqued my interest on the

sh off her apology-they lingered, as though he was testing something, maybe even drawing her in with the mystery of his inte

chest, unsure of what this strange, almost predatory, enco

s steady stare. "Well, thank you," she finally said, her voice soft and unsure, but still polite. "Unfortunately, I didn't get your name, or couldn't stay longer to ch

e noticed the blush that had risen to her cheeks, and for a brief moment, he felt a strange pull-a te

something more-something that lingered in the air between them. "I'm Ca

ty that it felt as though no one else existed in the room. There was something possessive in the way he regard

, her voice steady despite the fluttering in her chest. She lo

e he offered a quick, fleeting compliment. "Seraphina...

tte to compose herself. But her hand trembled slightly, and before she could cat

umped to her feet in a panic. "I just need to run to the ladies quickly before this stains!" He

the back of the café, rushing to the bathrooms, he

had unfolded. He leaned back in his chair, eyes following the empty spot where Seraphina had been sitting, and a sense of satisfaction settled over him like a quiet victor

emed to flinch at every glance. How easy it was to make her so self-conscious, to make her feel out of place

eyes scanned the room. He glanced down at his watch, his brow furrowing slightly when he

escaped his lips. "Perhaps I should join you," he said to himself, his voi

ade his way towards the back of the café. The slow, deliberate steps echoed in the quiet space a

d to make a fool of myself, huh?" She sighed in frustration, dabbing the fabric again. It wasn't like her to be so clumsy-especially not in front of someo

and the next, he was giving her these small, unexpected compliments that sent a strange shiver down her spine. The way he'

get nervous around men? She usually had no problem holding her own, standing tall and confi

aint sting of frustration again. She wasn't supposed to feel

at the stain. "Alright, enough," she muttered to herself. "He's probably waiting." She adjust

his tall frame leaning casually against the wall, his intense gaze lifting to meet hers. That

. "Sorry I took so long. The stain was being stubborn..." She winced slig

ss her face didn't go unnoticed. A small, almost imperceptible smile tugged at the corner of his lips. The way she

shifts in her expression. "Stubborn stains," he mused with a touch of amusement in his v

ut it wasn't just that. There was something else. She wasn't like anyone he had encountered before. There was a quie

Her haste didn't escape him. He wondered what she was trying to avoid-w

was fleeting, almost like it was something he wasn't ready to ad

. Her mind raced with thoughts of how awkward she must've seemed, how she'd blushed too

air of forced casualness. "I should probably get going soon." She smiled, doing her best to make it look natural, though inside, she felt like she was

m and composed as ever, and wondered if h

ing to quickly pay for her latte. But she couldn't help herself-she added his Am

s he looked up, his lips curling into a smirk. "I was just about to pay," he said, his voice smooth,

wling under her skin. "I didn't want to seem like I was overstaying my welcome," she replied,

his gaze softening slightly. "I'll admit, I wasn't expecting that. But now, I'm curious-wh

," she said, her voice light. "Just trying to leave without embarrassing myself any f

ftly behind her. Her heart was still racing, but as she stepped out into the cool night air, she cou

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atching her pay for the drinks was unexpected, a pleasant surprise, but more than that, there was something else, something he couldn't quite place.

fleeting, almost imperceptible, but it was there.

mn

er. She wasn't supposed to matter. Cassian had lived by one rule-never let anyone get too close, never let anyone dis

rply, reaching

wipe of his finger, he dialed his driver's number. As the line rang, his thoughts kept drifting back to her-he

is voice controlled, emotionless. "I'm send

trying to remind himself that he didn't have time for this, that there were other things, more important things, waiting for him

the strange unease in his chest. He was