Céleste  Accepted  The  Bottle  Without  Breaking  Eye  Contact,  Fingers  Grazing  His 

céleste  accepted  the  bottle  without  breaking  eye  contact,  fingers  grazing  his  just  long  enough  to  make  it  seem  incidental  —  a  calculated  accident,  if  anything.  she  brought  the  bottle  to  her  lips,  taking  a  sip  —  not  out  of  need,  but  because  she  didn’t  mind  letting  the  silence  stretch  either.  his  reply  lingered  between  them,  deliberate,  measured.  a  soft  breath  of  amusement  slipped  past  her  lips,  almost  like  she  was  entertaining  the  thought—before  she  tilted  her  head  slightly,  gaze  dragging  over  him  in  a  way  that  was  half  assessment,  half  something  else.  something  more  dangerous. most  people,  standing  in  a  penthouse  like  this,  would  probably  be  fixated  on  how  he  got  here  —  the  money,  the  name,  the  effortless  access  to  things  others  could  only  dream  of.  but  none  of  that  had  been  her  first  thought.  his  wealth,  his  lifestyle,  the  privileges  that  came  with  it  —  didn’t  impressed  her.  money  made  things  easier,  not  more  interesting.  and  alec?  he  was  interesting.  not  because  of  what  he  had,  but  because  of  whatever  was  lurking  beneath  the  curated  exterior.  but  that  didn’t  mean  she  was  about  to  hand  him  that  realization. "mm."  the  sound  was  thoughtful,  considering,  but  not  entirely  convinced.  she  let  her  eyes  flick  over  him  —  not  in  admiration,  but  in  calculation.  like  she  was  still  deciding  exactly  where  he  fit  in  her  world.  "so  what  you’re  saying  is…"  she  let  the  words  hang,  her  lips  curving  just  slightly.  "you’re  naturally  inclined  to  be  this  insufferable?"  she  took  another  sip,  before  setting  the  bottle  down  with  a  quiet  clink  against  the  counter.  then,  with  the  faintest  smirk,  she  met  his  gaze  head-on.  "noted."  she  took  a  quick  gaze  across  the  new  york  city  skyline.  “at  least  you're  not  getting  exhausted  trying  to  impress  people  then.  more  energy  to  place  elsewhere.”

his smirk didn’t falter, but he captured the way her gaze moved — perceptive, knowing. most people didn’t look that closely, or if they did, they were too busy being in awe of his wealth to question what they found. celeste, apparently, was neither. it felt as though she had already sized him up and decided exactly where he fit into her world. that was new. most people were too distracted by the money, the name, the lifestyle to see past the surface. they played along, eager to impress, but céleste? she wasn’t playing at all. at her comment about the water, he chuckled before quipping, “hydration is important, céleste. i thought you, of all people, would appreciate that.” he moved toward the built-in fridge, prying it open and grabbing a random bottle without even checking the brand. voss, apparently. twisting off the cap, he held it out to her. “but if this doesn’t meet your standards, i’m sure i can have something imported. nothing but the best for my trainer, right?” her next words, though, caught him slightly off guard. not that he showed it. you don’t have to try and impress me. he let the silence stretch just long enough to make it noticeable, his eyes lingering on her frame. it was almost inscrutable, but there was something there. maybe the smallest crack in all that control. he eased a little closer, just enough to minimize some of the space between them, but not enough to cross any lines. not yet. “who says i’m trying?” his composure was level, tone light and teasing. “maybe this is just me.”