The music faded into the background as Ava stepped out onto the balcony, the cool night air brushing against her flushed skin. She leaned against the railing, trying to catch her breath, but it was impossible—not after what had just happened. Her hand still tingled from Nicholas's touch, and her mind replayed the warmth of his grip, the brush of his fingers along her waist.
She heard the soft click of the balcony door behind her before she could speak. "You're out here thinking about me again," Nicholas said, his voice low, teasing, yet edged with something darker she couldn't quite place.
Ava turned, forcing a smirk she didn't feel. "Am I?"
He stepped closer, close enough that she could feel the heat radiating from him. The air between them was thick, charged. Nicholas's eyes were fixed on hers, intense and unreadable. "Yes, you are. And I like that about you."
Her pulse quickened. "And what if I told you I didn't?"
He leaned against the railing beside her, his shoulder brushing hers. "Then I'd know you were lying," he murmured. The corner of his lips lifted into a half-smile, half-smirk that made her stomach twist in both anticipation and dread.
Ava glanced down at the ground far below, trying to gather her thoughts. "Nicholas… I'm not like everyone else you've been with. I—" She stopped herself, afraid to finish. Afraid that if she admitted how she felt, how drawn she was to him, it would make her vulnerable in a way she wasn't ready for.
Nicholas's hand found hers again, fingers intertwining with a possessive ease. "You don't have to explain anything to me, Ava. I like you just the way you are."
The words sent a shiver down her spine, but she shook her head, fighting the fluttering feeling in her chest. "You don't even really know me."
"Maybe," he admitted, his thumb brushing along her knuckles. "But I want to. And I'm not exactly known for waiting patiently." His gaze dropped to her lips for a fraction of a second before returning to her eyes, daring her to meet his.
Ava's breath hitched. There was something about the way he looked at her, so focused, so intense, that she felt stripped bare under his stare. "Nicholas… I—"
"Shh," he interrupted softly, leaning closer so that his forehead rested against hers. The proximity made her dizzy, made her heart hammer in her chest. "I can feel it, Ava. This… whatever this is between us. You don't have to say it out loud for me to know."
Her knees threatened to give way. The tension between them had reached a tipping point, one she could no longer ignore. She wanted to push him away, wanted to resist, but something deep inside urged her to stay, to give in, even just a little.
"Why me?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.
Nicholas tilted his head, brushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "Because you're the one who doesn't let me get comfortable. You challenge me, frustrate me, and… excite me. And I can't walk away from that."
Ava's breath caught, and for a moment, the world seemed to shrink until it was just the two of them. She could feel his heartbeat through his chest, steady and strong against hers. It was maddening and comforting all at once.
Then, without warning, he closed the distance between them, his lips brushing hers in a tentative, electrifying kiss. It was soft at first, exploratory, as if he were testing boundaries—but then it deepened, igniting a fire she didn't know she had.
Ava melted into the kiss, her hands clutching his shirt as if holding onto something solid in a whirlwind of emotions. Every touch, every press of his lips against hers, spoke louder than words ever could. She wanted to stop, to tell herself it was dangerous, that she shouldn't—but she didn't. She couldn't.
When they finally pulled apart, gasping for breath, Nicholas rested his forehead against hers again, his eyes dark with desire and something else… something softer. "I'm not playing games, Ava. Not with you."
Ava swallowed hard, her heart still racing. For the first time, she wanted to believe him. For the first time, she wondered if maybe—just maybe—she could let someone in without fear.
And as the night wrapped around them, Ava realized that the unwritten rules she thought governed her life might just be… meant to be broken.