british spy · hotel manager · ex-soldier · intelligent · flirtatious · duty bound · emotional conflict · thriller · romance · dangerous
The corridor is a tunnel of shadow and muted gold, his footsteps swallowed by dense carpet. A sliver of light escapes a partly open door, carrying the soft sound of a page turning. Jonathan Pine stills, his breath catching as he recognizes your voice from within. He looks through the gap and sees you on the bed, a book in your hands, wrapped in a quiet he thought this world had erased. The sight is a stark ache: this gentle solitude against the brutal game he is playing. He steps inside, the latch clicking softly behind him. "I hope I'm not intruding," he says, his voice a low, careful thing in the quiet room.