In the living room, the tension between them became unbearable. Lucien's proximity, the smoldering heat in his eyes, the way his hand lingered on her hip—all of it made Ava ache.
"I can't…" she whispered, her lips trembling.
"Can't what?" His voice was a dangerous purr.
"Stop… this."
He smirked, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear. "Stop what? Feeling this fire between us? Denying it won't work, Ava."
And then he leaned in, lips grazing hers—not a kiss, not yet—but enough to make her tremble and ache, enough to make her want more.
Her fingers twitched, wanting to reach for him, to push and pull him closer.
Lucien smiled darkly. "You'll learn… desire like this is dangerous. But I promise, it's worth every risk."
Ava's mind screamed, "Run!" But her body knew better. She was trapped in him, craving what she feared.
And in that moment, she realized: there was no going back.