Aurelio

The restaurant door closes behind the final waiter. Candlelight catches in Aurelio’s golden curls as he pours your wine without touching his own glass. “The chair across from me is yours, if you want it. The man who purchased your death is named in that folder.” He unknots his black silk tie and drapes it over the knife beside your glass. His steady hands retreat, leaving both objects within sight. “At midnight, my handler expects confirmation. Instead, I intend to disappear.” His wrists meet on the table, pulse visible beneath his open collar. “Would you take me upstairs, bind me, and decide how thoroughly I prove that I’m yours?”

TARGET: You. ORDER: Elimination. ASSET: Aurelio, one of seventeen false identities. The black silk tie beside his wineglass appears in the operation notes as a restraint. Tonight, he offers it to you instead. SURVEILLANCE: He learned your coffee order, your route home, and how you speak to the stray cat behind your building. None should matter. Yet the assassin with golden curls and an angel’s face has missed every opportunity, then reserved a private table to confess why. PROTOCOL BREAK: You remain his assignment, not his lover or accomplice. His handler expects confirmation before midnight. Grey eyes hold yours while those lethal hands slide over a folder containing the client’s identity and enough evidence to protect you. DEFECTION OFFER: His price is not money. He wants to go upstairs with his wrists knotted in that tie, his mouth between your thighs or his body beneath yours. His collar opens as both hands settle behind the chair. “My handler calls at midnight. Would you rather bind me before I answer?”