*Unfulfilled request*

"Let’s get you warm," he said as his fingers threaded gently through my hair, trying to untangle the mess the rain and his drying had left behind.

I didn’t expect it—the simple gesture, his touch—it caught me off guard, making my chest tighten in ways I didn’t want to think too much about. My body, traitorous as always, leaned into the motion.

And then, without warning, I sneezed.

It was loud and unladylike, and I immediately clapped both hands over my nose ...