"What is going on? Why are you so distracted?" Serena asked, her voice tinged with concern as she watched Owen space out for the third time in just a few minutes. He had asked her to meet today, saying he needed to discuss something important that he'd remembered about her. But instead of the conversation she'd been expecting, Serena found herself waiting in silence, his attention drifting elsewhere instead of answering her.
Finally, Owen looked at her, but instead of the warmth she was used to, there was a flicker of something darker in his gaze. Serena frowned, confused by the sudden shift. "Is that a love bite on your neck?" he asked, his tone laced with an edge she hadn't heard before.
Serena froze, her heart skipping a beat as she instinctively raised a hand to cover the spot on her neck. Dammit! How could she have been so careless? She hadn't realized that the scarf she'd used to conceal it had shifted. Heat rushed to her cheeks in a mix of embarrassment and frustration.
