The door closed behind them with a subtle click, muffling the outside world.

Lauren felt the air change. Denser. Warmer. Laden with a woody perfume with sweet hints—sandalwood and amber, perhaps. The candles scattered around the room cast long shadows on the red walls, which seemed to pulse with an invisible breath. Large cushions covered the floor, and in the center, on a low table of dark wood, lay rolls of Japanese cotton rope, perfectly coiled. Red, black, and a golden one.

Yusuf placed ...