Jessica's POV
The thrill coursing through me vanished the moment his gaze fell to my mouth, only to dart away as he stepped back, stealing that intoxicating warmth with him.
A bitter disappointment coiled in my stomach, but I refused to retreat.
This was our first encounter, yet something primal in me craved him. He embodied contradictions - scorching heat and bitter cold - and I yearned for both his fire and frost to consume me. Getting what I desired had always been my specialty. I'd chase it to the ends of the earth if necessary.
My therapist claimed this was how I dealt with trauma, a shield I'd constructed after that nightmare years ago.
But Holley could take her theories and stuff them. She understood nothing. I paid her for absolutely worthless sessions.
"Fleeing already, Il mio futuro marito?" I called out, slipping off my heels and dangling them from my fingers as I pursued him at a leisurely pace, making no effort to close the distance.
