The door clanged shut behind us, sealing out the throb of the nightclub.

For a moment, the world shrank to the narrow strip of alley, the dim security light overhead, and the sharp, cold bite of the air.

Jaxon still had my wrist, his grip warm, grounding me when my pulse was still sprinting.

I turned to him, meaning to say thank you or maybe we need to keep moving, but the words got lost somewhere between my chest and my throat. He was too close, close enough that I could smell the faint mix ...