Chapter 4

Ava’s breath was uneven, her pulse hammering as Luca stood in front of her, too close, too composed.

The scent of his expensive cologne mixed with the faint aroma of old books, an intoxicating contrast of danger and comfort. He wasn’t supposed to be here. Not in her world. Not in the place she had carved out for herself, away from the chaos, the past, men like him.

Yet, here he was.

And worse—her body betrayed her.

She should hate the way his fingers barely skimmed the edge of her jaw, the way his deep voice wrapped around her like silk and steel. She should shove him away, tell him to leave.

But she didn’t.

A muscle ticked in Luca’s jaw, his eyes locked onto hers, reading every unspoken thought in her head.

“You’re trembling,” he murmured, his voice dangerously smooth.

Ava swallowed hard. “Because you shouldn’t be here.”

Luca’s smirk was slow, dark, knowing. “Yet, here I am.”

She stepped back, needing distance before she did something reckless, like lean into him instead of running away.

Claire cleared her throat loudly from behind the counter, reminding Ava they weren’t alone.

“Can I help you with something?” Claire asked, her tone friendly but firm.

Luca barely glanced her way. “I already found what I’m looking for.” His gaze never left Ava.

Her stomach twisted.

She had seen men obsessed before. But Luca’s obsession wasn’t born from fleeting desire—it was something deeper. Darker. Final.

“I need to work,” she forced out, turning to grab a book from the counter.

“I won’t stop you.” His voice was casual, but there was an edge to it. Like he was letting her go. For now.

Her fingers curled around the hardcover as she took a steadying breath. “Then enjoy your time here.”

Luca watched her for a moment longer before finally—mercifully—stepping back.

But he didn’t leave.

Instead, he wandered the aisles, running his fingers along the spines of books as if he belonged in a place like this.

Ava tried to ignore him, tried to lose herself in her work, but his presence was like a storm on the horizon—impossible to ignore, even before it arrived.

Every time she glanced up, he was still there.

Waiting.

Watching.

☾☾☾

An hour passed, then another. Luca remained.

Customers came and went, but he didn’t move from his spot near the back of the store, flipping through pages of a book he likely had no interest in.

Claire leaned against the counter beside Ava, lowering her voice. “Okay, who is the ridiculously hot guy who won’t stop staring at you?”

Ava’s grip tightened on the register. “No one.”

Claire scoffed. “Yeah, sure. Because ‘no one’ usually looks like they own the entire city.”

Ava sighed, choosing her words carefully. “He’s just… someone I met last night.”

Claire’s eyebrows shot up. “Ava. You never meet people. And definitely not men.”

Ava glared at her. “Because I don’t need complications.”