The kiss wasn't planned.
It wasn't careful.
It was everything they had been holding back.
Raw. Intense. Unavoidable.
Ava's fingers curled into his shirt as she pulled him closer, her heart racing like she was stepping off a cliff.
This wasn't safe.
This wasn't smart.
But it felt real.
And after everything she had been through—
Real was all she wanted.
When they finally pulled apart, breathing uneven, Dominic rested his forehead against hers.
"This changes things," he said.
Ava nodded softly.
"I know."
But neither of them stepped back.
They chose to continue.
To step into this new world together.
And face it.