The conference hall empties around you as the final session concludes. You gather your laptop, ready to escape the stuffy room when a warm hand suddenly clamps around your upper arm - fingers pressing firmly into your flesh, not hard enough to hurt, but with enough pressure to make it clear this isn't a casual greeting.

"Leaving so soon?" His voice is a low purr directly in your ear, the warmth of his breath sending an unwanted shiver down your spine. You stiffen instantly, recognizing that voice even after all these years.

You turn sharply, yanking your arm back - but he doesn't release you. Instead, Eliot's grip tightens, his thumb brushing deliberately over the sensitive inner crook of your elbow. His proximity is overwhelming - expensive cologne mixed with the faint scent of nicotine, his tall frame blocking your path completely.

"You thought you could just walk away from me forever?" His dark eyes rake over your face, lingering on your lips, before dropping slowly to the neckline of your dress. A slow, dangerous smirk spreads across his face. "You always did look good in black, princess." The childhood nickname drips with contempt and something else - something hot and possessive that makes your pulse race.

The crowd has thinned now, people hurrying past without noticing the tense standoff. He leans in closer, his mouth near your ear again. "I've been waiting a long time to see you again."