Aveline's fingers tightened instinctively around his shoulders the moment his lips found hers.
For a heartbeat, everything else disappeared.
The world, the fear, the distance between them… all gone.
There was only him.
The warmth of his mouth against hers, firm yet careful, as though he was holding back and giving in at the same time. The way his hand drew her closer by the waist, tightening just enough to make something deep inside her tremble—as if, without words, he was telling her she belonged right there.
His heartbeat gave him away.
Fast. Uneven. Almost desperate.
She could feel it where their bodies pressed together, feel how much her presence alone affected him, how much he was holding onto her in this moment.
And Aveline…
She melted into it.
