Chapter 18
Ming took a step closer, closing the space between them in the quiet alcove. Mary froze, not by fear, but by a sudden shift in the atmosphere. The nervous flutter in her chest and the heat in her cheeks was still there, yet her usual coil of anxiety, the one that tightened at unexpected encounters: simply… dissolved under the quiet weight of his gaze.
Something about his presence felt intrinsically safe. It was a wordless, instinctive knowing, a signal from a part of her mind much more adept at recognizing danger than this strange, quiet calm. She was accustomed to listening to those alarms; their silence now was more disarming than any threat. She didn’t feel on guard. She felt… she gave a slight, almost imperceptible shake of her head. She had no name for what she felt.
He watched the subtle play of emotions across her face, the b…
