Chapter 34 A Growing Bond

• Cleo’s POV
• The warmth of Russo’s arms around me lingered even after he pulled away. The air between us felt different now, more open, more raw. As I looked up at him, the awkwardness from the morning began to fade, replaced by something softer, something real. There was no mask, no pretense, just the two of us standing in the quiet room, trying to make sense of whatever this was.
• He was still close, his hands resting lightly on my waist, his touch sending small shivers through me. The intensity in his gaze had softened, replaced with a gentleness I wasn’t used to seeing in him. Russo wasn’t the kind of man to show vulnerability or affection easily, but today... today felt different.