She took her time with a sip of soup, her lips quirking. “One minute you’re tearing into them, and the next, you’re all smiles with me. With a talent for switching faces that fast, you should pursue an acting career.”

Austin let out a low chuckle and tapped her forehead with his finger. “You’re the only one bold enough to say that.”

Her laughter mingled with his. Then she turned back to her meal, eating quietly, the warmth between them filling the silence.

When they were done, Austin steered her toward the lounge.

Within minutes of lying down, her heavy eyelids drifted shut, and Brinley slipped into a deep, unbroken sleep.

He drew the blanket over her with quiet care before settling onto the sofa nearby.

A folder rested in his hands, yet he didn’t open it right away. His gaze lingered on Brinley’s sleeping face, softened in the low glow of the lamp.

The dark circles beneath her eyes and the dry curve of her lips betrayed how little rest she’d had lately.

Relief mingled with a quiet ache in his chest. At least his lie had finally given her a chance to get some proper rest.

When he finally turned to the project files, the dense figures and notes blurred under his eyes. He jotted points briskly, but focus came harder than usual. More often than not, his attention drifted back to Brinley, the steady rhythm of her breathing anchoring him more than any data could.

Half an hour passed before Brinley’s lashes fluttered and her eyes eased open.

The sky outside had already sunk into full darkness, and the lounge glowed softly under a single floor lamp, its amber light spilling over the man seated on the sofa.

Austin was buried in his files, his posture sharp with focus. She hesitated to disturb him.

At the faint rustle of her movement, his head lifted immediately. “You’re awake.”

She pushed herself upright, warmth spreading through her chest at the sight of the towering stack of documents beside him. He clearly had a mountain of work waiting, yet he had chosen to sit here, keeping watch so she wouldn’t wake alone.

She murmured, her voice still husky from sleep, “How long was I out? You really didn’t have to stay with me. Your business comes first.”

Austin closed the file and rose with easy grace. “Not long. I just wrapped up a report,” he said.

With practiced familiarity, he smoothed back the loose strands of her hair, his voice gentle. “Still tired? Do you want to rest a little longer?”

Brinley shook her head and tilted her face toward him. Unable to resist, she looped her arms around his neck and brushed a soft kiss against his lips.

The brief sweetness stunned Austin for a heartbeat before he caught the back of her neck, deepening the kiss with sudden urgency.

Only when her breath grew uneven and she gave a light push against his chest did he finally relent, chuckling softly as his lips grazed her forehead. “Was that meant as a reward?”

Her cheeks burned as she averted her gaze. “Something like that,” she murmured.

Austin’s low laugh rumbled as he pinched her earlobe playfully. “So, can I ask for another kiss?”

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