Her chest tightened, her breathing shallow. She ached to believe him, ached to yield to the pull that seemed to hum between them, but fear was there. Fear of her own heart, of the very possibility that it would betray her once again. "What if… what if I change?" she whispered, her voice trembling. "What if someday I glance back and…"
Lucien placed a finger firmly to her lips, holding her back. "Then leave it to time. But tonight, let your heart speak. Not your fear, not your doubts. Just your heart."
Serena's eyes closed, her body trembling. When she opened them again, tears glistened on her lashes. She nodded, a tiny, fragile movement, but one that made her choice solid. "I… I agree."
Lucien's eyes ignited with something wild, something unsaid and inescapable. He pulled her into his ar
