Ava thought she had rehearsed every defense, every line she could use to keep him at arm’s length. She had spent nights writing them down, repeating them aloud until they sounded like armor. Say no. Leave. File the papers. Call the lawyer. Walk away and never look back.
None of it mattered when Ethan filled the doorway and the world narrowed to the sound of his voice and the heat of him.
The apartment smelled faintly of rain and the lemon cleaner she used on the countertops. For a moment she stood rooted, watching him as he stood there, all controlled angles and dangerous softness. Every muscle in her insisted she should slam the door, bar it, call someone. Her rational mind scolded the part of her that still wanted him.
He closed the distance between them without a sound. Up close, his
