Chapter 5

Ava’s fingers trembled as she locked the front door of the bookstore, the weight of Luca’s presence pressing into her from behind.

The city hummed with late-night energy—horns blaring, distant laughter spilling from a nearby bar—but in this moment, there was only him.

And her.

She could feel the heat radiating off his body, the unshakable certainty of his presence. He didn’t even have to touch her to make her skin burn.

“I can walk home alone,” she said, her voice firmer than she felt.

Luca let out a low chuckle, stepping closer until she could feel his breath ghost over the side of her neck. “I know you can. But I won’t let you.”

Ava turned, heart pounding against her ribs. “You’re impossible.”

Luca smirked. “And yet, you don’t tell me to leave.”

She opened her mouth, ready to argue, but the words died on her tongue. Because he was right.

She should push him away. She should run.

But she didn’t.

And when he reached for her, fingers grazing the inside of her wrist, she sucked in a sharp breath.

“Your pulse is racing,” he murmured, his grip tightening just enough to keep her still but not enough to hurt. “You feel it too.”

Ava hated that she did.

Hated that her body betrayed her, that his touch set her nerves on fire instead of making her recoil.

She jerked her hand away, glaring up at him. “I don’t feel anything.”

Luca’s eyes darkened, and in one swift move, he had her caged against the bookstore door. His hands pressed against the wood on either side of her, his body dangerously close but not touching.

A test.

A warning.

His voice dropped, rough and edged with something primal. “Lie to yourself all you want, dolcezza. But don’t lie to me.”

Ava swallowed, heat coiling low in her stomach. “You don’t even know me.”

Luca’s lips tilted in a slow, knowing smile. “Then tell me.”

A challenge.

One she wasn’t sure she could win.

Her fingers curled into fists, nails biting into her palms. “There’s nothing to tell.”

Luca tilted his head, studying her like he was unraveling a mystery only he could solve. Then, without warning, he leaned in, lips brushing against the shell of her ear.

“You think I don’t see you?” His voice was a whisper, a dangerous caress against her skin. “I see everything, Ava.”

She shivered, her resolve crumbling as he pressed closer, the heat of his body licking at her like flames.

“This isn’t real,” she breathed, more to herself than him.

Luca chuckled, the sound dark and full of promise. “Oh, it’s very real.”

Ava’s breath hitched as he traced his knuckles down the length of her arm, his touch featherlight but devastating.

“I’ve been patient,” he murmured, his lips so close they nearly brushed against hers. “But I don’t wait forever.”

She exhaled sharply, forcing herself to meet his gaze. “What do you want from me, Luca?”

His eyes burned with possession. “Everything.”

A dangerous promise.

A reckless temptation.

Ava’s pulse pounded as Luca leaned in, his mouth hovering just over hers, his breath mingling with hers.

He was waiting.