It started innocently enough—his fingertips grazing her back as they moved past each other.
He thought she didn’t notice.
But she did.
She turned slightly, letting his hand rest there a second longer than it should.
Then she stepped away—not in rejection, but in a deliberate pivot.
The movement revealed just enough skin at the curve of her shoulder.
Close enough for him to see.
Far enough that he couldn’t reach without making a choice.
It wasn’t about teasing.
It was about teaching him something:
There’s a difference between what’s offered and what’s earned.
He could touch her back all he wanted.
But the part she’d just shown him?
That was a territory he’d need permission to enter.