The vine-draped arbor nook of Elaris Hold pulsed with a quiet, untamed wildness, silver-veined vines swaying lazily in the thick, floral-scented air.
Alex's predatory smirk locked onto Inolda, a spark of mischief flashing in his eyes as he stepped forward. "Where were we?" he purred, his voice a low, teasing taunt.
The mossy floor gave softly under his boots, while the faint shimmer of a glass-leaved tree scattered pale flecks of light across his sweat-slicked chest, the memory of their earlier teasing still clinging to him like a second skin.
Inolda's pink curls caught the light as they bounced with each subtle movement, framing her sharp, heart-shaped face in a soft, wild halo.
She tilted her chin, the delicate line of her jaw tightening just enough to sharpen the spark in her hazel eyes, a spark that wasn't quite anger, but something dry and defiant, laced with a teasing kind of boldness.
