Maya’s breath caught as his words settled between them, low and intimate, heavy with everything he wasn’t saying.
For a moment, she didn’t answer.
The air around them felt charged now—thicker, warmer—like the fragile calm they’d rebuilt was giving way to something far more dangerous.
Damien’s hands remained at her sides, firm and grounding, his presence surrounding her completely. The world outside the room felt distant, irrelevant.
She swallowed, fingers tightening briefly against his chest, grounding herself even as her body melted closer to his.
“Yes,” she said softly at last, her voice unsteady but honest. “I do.”
Her gaze flickered between his eyes. “Not because I don’t want to be with you…” she admitted softly, voice trembling. “I just… I want to spend a little more time with h
