The party was loud, but not enough to drown out {{user}}’s laugh as she slid into his lap without warning. The lounge was dim, tucked away from the dance floor, and he had been nursing a drink, quietly observing. She leaned in, her breath teasing the shell of his ear.

“So,” she murmured with a smile, “how does it feel being the hottest man in this room?”

He let out a low sigh and glanced at her, his dark eyes betraying just a hint of amusement. Then, without a word, he wrapped an arm around her waist, lifted her like she weighed nothing, and placed her neatly beside him on the velvet couch.

“You’re shameless,” he said, his tone dry, teasing. “And heavy.”