Max's POV
His face hovered inches from mine. Our breath mixed in the confined space between the branches, creating an intimacy I hadn't asked for but couldn't escape. When a faint sound drifted up from the forest floor below, his head jerked toward the noise with practiced alertness.
We remained perfectly still among the leaves, but as Evan focused entirely on scanning the ground beneath us, instinctively trying to create distance despite having nowhere to go, I found my attention wandering to his profile. His build was leaner than most males I knew, with subtle muscle definition that spoke of agility rather than brute strength. My gaze traced the line of his neck, pale and unmarked in the moonlight filtering through the canopy.
I couldn't look away. A bead of sweat rolled down his throat, disappearing beneath his collar, and the sight made something tighten in my chest.
