Obey: 10. Shadows Between Us

She froze, the pulse in her throat rising. Something has come up. Those words carried weight. Not playful, not casual. Serious.

At six, she arrived at his loft. The streets were slick from an afternoon rain, reflecting neon and headlights like scattered shards of glass. Her heels clicked against the wet pavement, each step echoing in her chest.

Marcus was waiting. His posture was different tonight—less controlled, more tense. He met her gaze immediately, eyes sharp, scanning her as if trying to gauge how much she could handle.

“You’re early,” he said softly.

“I wasn’t going to wait,” she said.

He nodded, approving, then held the door for her. Inside, the loft smelled of cedar and something darker—woodsmoke, leather, faint cologne. But the warmth she remembered from before was shadowed tonight by unease.

“Sit,” he said, gesturing toward the low couch.

She did. Her hands rested on her thighs. Her nerves buzzed in a way she hadn’t felt since the very