"Is something bothering you, sweetheart?" the dominant force asked, his low baritone gentle yet attentive enough to demand an honest answer.
Her head slowly lifted from his shoulder, her gaze settling on his sharp eyes with a slightly dazed expression, as though he had just pulled her from a distant train of thought. "Hmm... what makes you ask?"
"Is something bothering you, sweetheart?" Raymond repeated, his tone slightly firmer this time, though the warmth in his eyes never faded.
Her gaze quickly dropped. Phoebe forced a small, polite smile, trying to ease the sudden tension in her expression. "Ah... no. Nothing's wrong. Why are you suddenly asking about me?"
But the man beside her was not easily fooled by such a simple deflection. His keen eyes had already caught the hesitation she was desperately trying to hide.
"You've been lost in thought for quite some time," Raymond continued, a faint, knowing smile touching his lips. "Tell me what's on your mind."
