"Maybe I'm just excited for a croissant," she said.
Barry set the tray down with a small laugh. "Right. Definitely not from yoga, answering emails... or some sort of stress relief?"
Zoe let that hang in the air, her knife gliding effortlessly through a ripe peach. The silence stretched just long enough to make him shift in his seat before she finally looked over and offered a slow smile.
"Just a little tension earlier," she murmured. "All gone now."
He stepped forward and kissed her cheek -- soft, affectionate, oblivious.
"Well," he said, "whatever it is, it suits you."
They sat together at the table, sipping coffee and sharing pastries, the conversation meandering -- soft, simple domesticity. But Zoe was watching him, behind her lashes. Studying the way his eyes lingered too long on
