Chapter 2

The air in the private lounge of the Meridian Pool Hall was thick, heavy with the scent of aged mahogany, expensive scotch, and the faint, metallic tang of ozone from the billiards racks. It was a different world from the main floor, separated by heavy velvet curtains that muffled the clatter of cues and the low rumble of conversation. Here, the amber lights hung lower, casting long, golden shadows across the green felt of the tables, creating a cocoon of intimacy that felt illicit, as if we had stolen time from the rest of the world. I had shed my outer layer, the silk of my dress slipping off my shoulders as I adjusted the fit, the fabric catching the light in a way that made me feel exposed, even though we were alone. My heels clicked softly against the parquet floor as I moved toward the corner booth where he had been waiting, watching me with a intensity that made my skin prickle. He hadn’t moved when I changed; he had simply sat there, one leg crossed over the other, a tumbler of whiskey in hand, his gaze tracing the line of my neck, the curve of my waist,