Ava’s POV
I swallowed hard, my throat suddenly dry as Liam’s fingers continued their slow, torturous path against my thigh. His touch was warm, deliberate, and far too gentle for the storm I saw swirling in his eyes.
I should pull away. Should tell him this was too much, too soon.
But I didn’t.
Instead, I sat frozen, my body betraying me as the heat of his hand seeped through the thin fabric of my leggings, sending a shiver through me.
Liam must have noticed because his lips curved just slightly—not in amusement, but in something softer. Something real.
“I meant what I said, Ava,” he murmured, his thumb tracing small circles just above my knee. “I want this chance. I want us.”
My breath hitched.
He had never said those words before. Never made it sound like we were something real,
