Eve stared at him, the simplicity of the moment grounding her in a way she hadn't expected. Ryan's presence was a quiet anchor amid the chaos that had upended her life. But even as safety bloomed between them, shadows lingered, family secrets that twisted like knives, criminal threats closing in from the edges of her world. For now, though, she let herself lean into the warmth he offered.
Not hunger that took. A kiss that asked. Eve’s breath shuddered as Ryan's lips brushed hers, soft at first, testing the fragile boundary between comfort and desire. Her hands rose to his shoulders, fingers curling into the fabric of his shirt, and she kissed him back, tentative at first, a hesitant press of mouths that spoke of her lingering doubts. Then deeper, as something inside her surrendered, not t
