The cloying attention felt like a spider’s web, each strand a subtle, sticky constraint. "It's not necessary," Linsy demurred, her voice carefully neutral. "The food is fine regardless of who prepares it. I was simply hungry today, that's all." She couldn't afford his heightened scrutiny. Every ounce of his focus came with a price, and she was no longer willing to pay it.

"I'm tired," she announced, seeking refuge in solitude. "May I go and rest?"

A soft, almost indulgent "Yeah" was his only ...