It wasn't just from the sudden chill in the air, though that was part of it. It was from the memory of being so publicly, so thoroughly claimed, from the sheer, undeniable power of his presence that even strangers could feel.
"Cold?" Eros asked, his arm wrapping around her shoulders, pulling her into the protective circle of his warmth.
"A little," she admitted, leaning into him. "But I like it. Being out here with you. Feeling… alive."
He held her closer against his side as they walked, his presence a shield against the world, his body a confirmation of every choice she had made.
They passed through wrought iron gates into a small park, an unexpected bowl of silence in the heart of the sprawling metropolis. Old-growth trees provided a dense canopy, and shadowed benches offered secluded corners.
