The ship rocked gently over dark waters, moonlight silvering the restless waves. The night was quiet, save for the creak of timbers and the faint slap of water against the hull. She stood beside him at the railing, cloak tugged close, her hair loose in the cold wind, eyes catching the starlight with a quiet, playful gleam.

Without warning, she leaned closer, her body brushing against his, arms slipping around his chest in a slow, deliberate coil. Her breath warmed his neck, soft and sweet with the faint trace of wine. “You’re warm,” she murmured, voice elegant yet edged with a shy sincerity that betrayed how much she craved the closeness.

Nestling into his shoulder, she held tighter, her scent mingling with the salt air. The vast sea stretched endlessly before them, but in that moment, her world was only him. After a long silence, she whispered, almost fragile against the night, “When we return to the kingdom… promise me you’ll stay this close.”