Page 200 of Playing Dirty

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Luca.

Back near Rowan.

ROWAN

Luca returned with another drink in his hand.

“You survived,” he said.

“Barely.”

“That’s the correct attitude for this place.”

I took the drink carefully this time.

“That one safer?” I asked.

“No,” he replied honestly. “But it tastes safer.”

That made me laugh slightly.

And he noticed immediately.

“There it is,” he said.

“What.”

“You actually relaxing.”

“I am relaxed.”

“That’s a lie.”

I rolled my eyes.

But he wasn’t wrong.

The rooftop still felt strange tonight.

Not because of the crowd.

Because of one person inside it.

Luca leaned against the bar beside me.

Easy.

Comfortable.

No overthinking.

That difference mattered more than I expected.

MASON

I watched Luca lean closer again.

Not aggressively.

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