Chapter 6: A Dangerous Line
Ava didn't move.
Couldn't.
Her breath came in shallow waves as Dominic's fingers brushed her cheek, lingering like a threat—or a promise.
His eyes locked on hers. "Say something."
"I..." Her voice failed. What could she say? That her pulse was racing? That she wasn't scared, but something worse—tempted?
He closed the gap.
Their lips met—soft at first, like testing a boundary neither of them was ready to admit existed. Then heat flared. His hand slid behind her neck, tilting her head back, deepening the kiss. Possessive. Hungry.
She kissed him back.
Only for a moment.
And then she pulled away, heart thudding, skin flushed. "This is a mistake," she whispered.
Dominic's jaw tightened, but his voice was calm. "Then why are you shaking?"
She looked down at her hands. Damn it. She was.
"This wasn't part of the deal," she said.
"It wasn't," he agreed, voice cool again. "But maybe we need to stop pretending there are rules."
She pushed past him, needing distance. "You think you can kiss me and I'll just fall at your feet?"
He let out a soft laugh—dark, low. "No, Mrs. Grey. I think you already have."
Her cheeks burned. "You're delusional."
"And yet, you kissed me back."
Silence.
Thick. Heavy.
She turned to face him. "This marriage is still fake."
Dominic's eyes narrowed, something unreadable flashing across his face. "Then why does it feel so damn real?"
Before she could answer, he stepped back, all the heat in him shuttering like a door slamming shut.
"I'm leaving town tomorrow. Business."
"What kind of business?"
"The kind that doesn't concern you." His voice was clipped. Professional. He was retreating.
Good. She needed him to.
He paused at the door, back to her. "Don't wait up."
And just like that, he was gone.
Leaving Ava alone. Breathless. And confused.
Because her lips still tingled where h
e kissed her.
And her heart?
It had already crossed the line.