Page 8 of Before Dawn

“Do you work?” he asked casually, but the way his gaze locked onto mine made it impossible to focus on the question itself.

“I’m almost done with school.”

His expression shifted—just barely, but enough for me to catch it. A flicker of something unreadable. Was that… shock? Did he think I was younger? How old was he?

He couldn’t be over twenty-six—not with that face, or that body.

“I’m twenty-three, by the way,” I added quickly, hoping to clarify.

His eyes flickered, an emotion passing too fast for me to catch. Relief? Amusement?

“And you?” I asked, aiming for casualness, though my pulse pounded harder than it should. “How old are you?”

He hesitated. His gaze dropped to his glass, then lifted back to mine.

“Thirty-three.”

Thirty-three.

The number settled between us, heavier than I expected. A ten-year gap. Was that supposed to bother me? Maybe. But somehow… it didn’t.

He watched me carefully, the playful glint in his eyes momentarily replaced by something more serious.

“Is that okay with you?” His voice was lower now, cautious. “If you’re not comfortable, we don’t have to continue this conversation.”

The question caught me off guard. There was something rare in his tone—vulnerability.

Most guys his age would brush off concerns, assuming they knew best. But him? He was giving me a choice.And damn, that was unfairly attractive.

A slow smile crept onto my lips. “It doesn’t bother me.” I held his gaze, steady. “Besides, if I did have a problem with it, I wouldn’t still be sitting here, would I?”

His shoulders relaxed, and the corner of his mouth curved into that devastatingly charming smile again.

“Fair point. But I just wanted to make sure you’re comfortable, Red.”

Something fluttered in my chest. He just kept making himself more attractive, and that was going to be a problem.

I leaned forward slightly, a spark of boldness flickering through me. “I’m comfortable. Maybe we can get back to enjoying this conversation.”

He watched me for a beat, then took another slow sip from his glass. When he set it down, the glint in his eyes was back, sharp and playful.

“So, Red,” he murmured, tilting his glass toward me. “What’s your major?”

“Real estate and business, with some electives in architecture.”

He nodded, clearly impressed. “My sister’s a realtor. She enjoys it for the most part. Sounds like you’ve already got your path figured out.”

I let out a soft laugh, taking a sip of water. “Congrats to her. I wish I had it all figured out, but hey, I’ve made it this far. That counts for something, right?”

His gaze softened, locking onto mine. “It counts foreverything. You should be proud of yourself.” His voice was warm, reassuring. “Final year?”

“Yep. Did you go to university?”

He chuckled, leaning in slightly. “My parents would’ve had a heart attack if I didn’t. I have my bachelor’s and master’s in business.”

I tilted my head, intrigued. “How’d you know I was going to ask what you studied?”

He shrugged, an effortless smile curving his lips. “Just a hunch.”

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