I sucked in a shaky breath, my back pressed flat against the wall behind me, trying to create some kind of distance—some kind of barrier—but there wasn’t any.
Not with Ethan standing so close, his body heat wrapping around me like a second skin, his scent flooding my lungs, his presence overwhelming in a way that made my chest tighten and my thoughts blur.
My skin still burned where he had touched me, his fingers leaving an invisible mark, a trail of fire that refused to fade.
I forced myself to breathe, to think, and somehow managed to whisper—
"We can’t do this."
The words felt like splinters on my tongue.
Ethan stiffened.
His brows furrowed, his hands twitching at his sides as if restraining himself from reaching for me again. He clenched his jaw so hard I swore I heard his
