<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'">“Must be that vent up there,” she offered, gesturing up to a ceiling with nothing but brown square panels, some discolored from what was likely water damage. “That’s really too bad.” A playful pout appeared on features before she took one more draw from the bottle. Setting it back on the table, she stepped back up to the faded line, ready to align her shot when Wes’ form slid behind her. His fingertips ghosted over her skin, leaving goosebumps in their wake and the tiny translucent hairs standing on end. Ava nearly shivered at the touch, the sensation lingering long after it had passed. It didn’t help that he was standing so close to her, claiming to “protect” her from the non-existent draft that assaulted him earlier. She could feel the warmth of his body behind her, his form mirroring her position close as a shadow. Her heart rate was climbing, thumping in her chest from the expectation that he would pull her to him, fit her soft, feminine form to his at any second. But, he didn’t. And, she didn’t move. Though Ava wondered why her feet turned to cinder blocks beneath her, why she could seem to distance herself from him, she knew some of the reason was that she wouldn’t allow herself to be intimidated by his tricks-- like she had been in the woods. <br/>
<br/>
The mere thought was enough to heat her cheeks, fill them with a pinkish hue as she recalled how his hand brushed along her face and how his intense gaze stunned her into remaining so still. His intent seemed so clear, but nothing came of all those misleading gestures and she was certain that nothing would come of what he was doing now. Ava took a breath, doing her best to pretend as though he weren’t there. It was no easy feat to ignore the comforting warmth, to resist the urge to melt into him and close the gap between them. She had to rely on hunting tactics, ones she learned years and years ago in order to render him invisible. Zeroing in on the red dot at the heart of the board, her focus turned to calming herself. It would do no good to have her heart drumming wildly against her rib cage, so she took her time clearing her mind of all the distracting thoughts that occupied her mind. Mentally she shoved the passionate kiss in the heat of the moment to the side, and pushed away all thoughts of the deceivingly tender touch he had given her so that she could do what she did well. Ava held the dart loosely, allowing her wrist more range of motion as she tested its course through a few slow, mock throws. When she was confident, she committed to the throw, letting the dart fly out of her hand toward the board. <br/>
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Her face lit up as she moved toward the board, pulling herself from the warm that radiated from the Hunter’s body to go investigate. It was center, not dead center, but just within the small red circle in the middle. Spinning around with a smile, she placed her hands on her hips. “Well, would you look at that? A bullseye. You know, I’m absolutely positive it had something to do with you being right behind me, so close that I couldn’t feel that pesky little draft. Thanks for your help. That did the trick.” It couldn’t have been further from the truth, his closeness nearly causing her to overheat from the anticipation of his touch. Beaming proudly she passed him by on her way to the jukebox, a bounce in her step as she practically skipped to it. Though she had upped the stakes on her own, she wasn’t exactly certain what she was going to choose. As she reached the old contraption she wasted little time sifting through the collection of songs, a few of the titles and bands familiar enough to her that she would occasionally glance over her shoulder in his direction while she considered a particular selection for him. Turning her face away from the colorful glow of the jukebox, she looked him up and down as though she were tailoring the song just for him. <br/>
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A few times she shot him that same appraising glance, green eyes assessing him for a moment before she ultimately decided that whatever she was considering just wasn’t good enough. She tapped the button again and again, passing up options that would have had the effect she was going for but weren’t quite right. That was until she finally found it. Ava couldn’t help but let out a small roll of laughter, a lovely little tune of her own. She reached into her pocket, retrieving a few coins to feed into the machine. Tapping the button, the jukebox silenced the music that played overhead while it lifted a record behind the glass and carried it to the center spindle. Lowering the tonearm the fake vinyl spun, merely for effect since it was more for show than actual functionality. From the speakers the song began to play, and Ava turned to Wes. “Alright, you don’t have to dance to the whole song. I am a benevolent winner." Her hand went to her chest as though she were the most gracious Queen. "But, I do want to see your best moves before you next turn.” She said, going back to the bar table to get her drink while she waited expectantly, ready for a show. <br/>
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