The house smelled like cinnamon and roasted turkey. Christmas lights twinkled along the banister, and holiday music played softly from the living room speakers. Ava helped her mom set the table, trying to ignore the nervous flutter in her stomach. It had been four years since Lucas had last come home for the holidays. Four years since their parents’ marriage had blended their families and created the forbidden tension neither of them had ever fully addressed.
Now he was back.
The front door opened at 6:15 p.m. Ava’s breath caught as Lucas stepped inside, stomping snow off his boots. He looked even better than she remembered, taller, broader, with a rugged jawline and dark hair that fell messily over his forehead. His green sweater stretched across his chest, and those familiar piercing b
