𝐖𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐒𝐀𝐕𝐀𝐍𝐍𝐀𝐇

𝟬𝟳

Thea sat perched on a stool, one leg crossed over the other, a small plate of chips in front of her. Her head was thrown back in laughter at something Jana had just said, her shoulders shaking, dimples showing as she giggled.

Before she could say anything more, two arms suddenly appeared from behind her, slipping around her sides and caging her in. A familiar scent reached her just as a voice spoke low near her ear.

"Hey, you."

Thea smiled immediately, already knowing who it was. She turned her head slightly to see Alejandro smiling down at her, his face glowing with that relaxed, boyish charm that always managed to disarm her.

"Haven't seen you the whole night," he murmured, still leaning close, his arms resting gently on either side of her stool.

"That's because you have been hiding away," she teased, narrowing her eyes at him playfully.

He chuckled and stepped around her, finally taking the empty seat beside hers. Without missing a beat, he reached over and stole a couple of chips off her plate.

"Excuse you!" she gasped in mock offense, swatting at his hand.

"Too slow," he grinned, crunching down on the chips proudly.

Thea rolled her eyes but smiled, turning her attention back to the conversation buzzing around the kitchen island. Her fingers tapped idly on the counter as she joined in with the group's banter, but Alejandro wasn't paying attention to anything or anyone else.

He sat beside her, elbow propped on the table, chin resting against his knuckles as he simply watched her—eyes tracing the way her nose scrunched when she laughed, how her hair fell against her shoulder, how her hands moved when she spoke.

She could feel it too—that weight of a gaze that made her skin warm in a way the overhead lights couldn't explain. Slowly, she turned to face him, one brow raised in suspicion.

"What?" she asked, lips twitching.

Alejandro's lips tugged into a small, soft smile. "Have I told you that you look beautiful tonight?"

She tried to bite back her grin, but failed spectacularly. "Ugh," she said, reaching over and pressing her hand over his eyes. "What did I say about that staring problem of yours?"

He let out a low laugh, taking hold of her wrist with ease, his fingers warm and gentle around her skin. He pulled her hand away from his face and held it for a moment, thumb brushing against her knuckles before lowering both their hands to the space between them.

Then, leaning down just a little, he hooked his foot around one of the legs of her stool and pulled her seat closer until their knees bumped together. She didn't resist—in fact, she leaned a little into him.