Slowly and reluctantly, Damian loosened his hold on her.
The warmth of his arms faded, and the space between them returned.
Ava felt it instantly, that absence.
The room fell into silence again.
But it wasn't the same silence as before.
This one was softer in a different way.
Filled with everything they had just shared… and everything they were now trying to steady.
Ava stood there for a moment, unsure what to do with herself.
Her heart hadn't fully calmed.
Her thoughts hadn't fully settled.
And suddenly, she became very aware of something else.
Her dress.
She was still wearing the gown from the party.
The fabric clung to her, elegant but now out of place in the quiet intimacy of his room.
She shifted slightly, her fingers brushing the side of the dress.
"I should…" she started, then stopped.
Her voice faded and heat crept up her neck again.
She wanted to say she would go to her room to change and. come back.
