When he saw her, his eyes lit up at first. It was automatic. Warmth flashing through the blues.
Then he saw the bruise.
The warmth died.
His gaze sharpened instantly, tracking from her cheek to her eye. His body went still in a way that was far more dangerous than shouting.
He sucked in a breath.
"Luca… you're here." She forced a smile that felt brittle. "Give me a minute. Let me just pack up."
"Come here." He commanded absolutely. Luca did not raise his voice to be obeyed. The command lived in his posture, in the way his shoulders squared, in the stillness that settled around him. The shop felt smaller when he spoke like that.
"I just want to…" she began, gesturing vaguely toward the counter, toward anything that would buy her a second.
"Come… here."
