Juniper found herself shifting her weight, an unconscious adjustment that opened her posture toward him. It was a subtle thing - the kind of movement that could be dismissed as simple fatigue if you weren’t looking for it. But Daniel’s gaze flickered to her coxal, then back to her face, and she knew he’d caught the summons in her positioning.

“Actually,” he said, his voice dropping into a lower register that sent heat racing down her spine. He shifted his weight, one hand finding his pocket in a gesture that seemed almost nervous - but his eyes told a different story. They held a heat that made her throat go dry. “There’s this tradition at the firm.” The words came slower now, as if he was crafting them in real time, his usual precise speech giving way to something more organic. “Martinez told me about it my concluding interview - partners always meet at Highest Steaks before major trials. For luck.”

His eyes met hers, carrying an unspoken question, but his body had already betrayed his careful words. The slight tilt of his head, the way his chest had unconsciously opened toward her - it was like watching someone discover exactly what they wanted, even if they hadn’t planned on wanting it. His dimple appeared as he added, almost as an afterthought, “Sometimes traditions are worth keeping.” The practiced casualness of the statement contrasted beautifully with how his pupils had dilated, how his fingers had curled against his palm… her eyes catching the shift of his knuckles protruding through the fabric of his pocket as she looked back up at him… every inch of him resonating with an energy that had nothing to do with firm traditions and everything to do with someone in particular.

Leaving her cataloging his firm’s traditions in unfortunate detail.