Ava barely registered the carpet beneath her feet as she walked down the hallway.
Her body moved on instinct alone, carrying her away from Damian's study, away from the charged stillness she had left behind. Her heart was still racing, her pulse unsteady and her thoughts tangled in a way that made it difficult to breathe properly.
She hadn't planned for that.
Hadn't planned to stand so close to him that the air between them felt so... Hadn't planned to freeze beneath his gaze, to feel anticipation coil in her chest. And she most certainly hadn't planned to want him to kiss her.
The realization struck her with startling clarity halfway down the hall.
She slowed down, then stopped.
Ava pressed a hand lightly against the wall, grounding herself as the truth settled in. She had wanted it. Wanted his lips on hers, wanted him to close the distance he had so deliberately held back from crossing. The thought made her cheeks burn, equal parts mortification.
