Page 148 of Playing Dirty

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Not close to her bed.

Not far from it either.

Just inside the same space.

The lamp light hit everything softer than it should’ve.

Rowan shifted slightly.

Not away.

Not toward.

Just adjusting.

“You’re overthinking it again,” she said.

“I’m not.”

“You are,” she repeated.

I looked at her.

“Then stop noticing,” I said.

That got a reaction.

Small.

But real.

Her expression tightened slightly.

Not offended.

Just aware that I’d said something that wasn’t clean.

“I can’t,” she said quietly.

That made me pause.

Because it wasn’t playful anymore.

Not teasing.

Just honest.

And that changed something in the room I couldn’t name yet.

Rowan

The silence after that felt heavier.

Not awkward.

Just full.

I looked down at my hands for a second.

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