Tirel pushed the heavy door open, the faint creak echoing down the empty passage. She glanced back at Jae with her usual smirk, crimson hair catching the light from the narrow window above.
He lingered a moment longer in the private room, brushing a hand through his blonde hair before stepping out after her. The atmosphere between them was different now, charged and playful, carrying the weight of what had just passed in their stolen moment.
As Tirel stepped into the hall, Jae couldn't help himself. His hand shot out, delivering a quick, teasing smack to her backside.
The sound was sharp in the otherwise quiet passage. Tirel froze mid-step, her shoulders stiffening before she turned her head with a glare hot enough to set stone on fire.
"Really?" she asked, her tone a mixture of outrage and disbelief.
