Ava had always been the kind of woman people noticed without quite knowing why.
It wasn't loud beauty or anything deliberately demanding attention. It was quieter than that—something that unfolded slowly, like a secret revealed only to those patient enough to look twice. She stood at an average height, neither petite nor towering, her body balanced in a way that felt natural and unforced. There was softness to her curves, gentle and feminine, paired with a subtle strength in her posture that hinted at independence, resilience, and a life fully lived.
Her skin carried a warm, even tone, smooth and glowing with a natural radiance that no makeup could ever improve. It was the kind of complexion that caught light effortlessly, reflecting health, warmth, and quiet confidence. she was indeed a younger version of her mother .When the sun touched her face, it highlighted the delicate contours of her cheekbones and the gentle curve of her jaw.
Her hair thick, dark, and impossibly soft—fell past her shoulders in loose waves, the kind that never seemed fully tamed no matter how much effort she put into styling it. Strands often escaped to frame her face, brushing against her cheeks and neck in a way that felt almost intimate. When she brushed it back, as she often did when thinking too deeply, the movement exposed the graceful line of her neck and the subtle vulnerability she rarely allowed others to see.
But it was her eyes that lingered in people's memories.
Large, expressive, and impossibly honest, they held a depth that made it difficult to look away. Their color shifted with the light—sometimes warm and soft, sometimes dark and intense—mirroring every emotion she tried so hard to hide. When she smiled, they sparkled with warmth and sincerity. When she was uncertain, they revealed everything she didn't say aloud.
This morning, those eyes were filled with something new.
Longing.
The city outside buzzed with life, but Ava barely noticed. She lingered by her bedroom window, fingers tracing the rim of her coffee mug, heart still tangled in the warmth of Lucas's confession from yesterday. Every memory of his voice, the softness in his gaze, the gentle strength of his hand in hers, made her chest tighten in the most delicious way. She knew, without a doubt, that nothing in her world would ever feel quite the same again.
She sat cross-legged on the edge of her bed, fingers entwined, staring at the floor as if answers might rise from the patterned carpet. Her thoughts, inevitably, drifted to Lucas—his voice, low and deliberate, echoing in her ears. "I like you… more than I should…"
A shiver ran through her at the memory. Every fiber of her being ached to see him again, to feel the warmth of his hand against hers, to let the intimacy of yesterday linger a little longer, to explore the unspoken pull that drew them together like gravity.
She rose, brushing her hair back from her face, trying to find composure. But composure was a distant memory when every part of her body seemed to remember his touch. She moved to the window, gazing out at the city that had never felt more alive—or more lonely without him nearby.
Across town, Lucas sat in his office, staring at the reports he had no intention of reviewing. His mind was entirely elsewhere, lost in the quiet, persistent memory of Ava's smile, the softness of her fingers entwined with his own, the way her eyes had held his confession with such vulnerability and trust. He could feel her presence as keenly as if she were there with him, filling the room, teasing him with a temptation he had no intention of resisting.
He ran a hand through his hair, exhaling sharply. "I can't stay away. I won't," he muttered to himself. He had tried to focus, tried to let logic dictate his actions, but logic had been a poor counselor. Ava had become the axis around which his world now spun.
Without thinking, he grabbed his coat and left the office, stepping into the crisp morning air, driven by a singular need. He knew, with every pulse in his chest, that he had to see her. Not just for words, but for the quiet, unspoken connection that neither of them could deny.
The café Ava had chosen sat tucked along a quiet street, away from the city's chaos—a place that felt like a pause in time. Warm light spilled from its wide windows, soft and inviting, casting a golden glow onto the pavement outside. Inside, the air carried the rich scent of freshly ground coffee beans, warm pastries, and faint hints of vanilla and cinnamon.
Wooden tables, worn smooth by years of use, filled the space, each one holding traces of quiet conversations, laughter, and stolen moments. Soft music played in the background, low enough to be ignored yet present enough to create intimacy. The hum of voices blended with the gentle clink of cups and saucers, forming a comforting rhythm that wrapped around anyone who entered.
Sunlight filtered through sheer curtains, painting lazy patterns across the floor. Plants lined the windowsills, their green leaves softening the space, making it feel alive, warm, and personal. It was the kind of café where people lingered longer than intended—where time slowed and moments stretched just a little.
Ava sat at a small table near the window, hands folded around her cup, her reflection faintly visible in the glass beside her. The warmth of the room contrasted sharply with the storm of anticipation inside her chest.Lucas watched her for a while from the door, admiring and savoring such beauty.He was happy that he finally let his feelings out .
The moment their eyes met - the world contracted around them, leaving only the magnetic pull of each other's presence. Lucas's lips lifted in a small, confident smile as he approached her table. She could feel her breath catch at the sight of him, the subtle warmth emanating from his body like a physical force.
"Ava," he said, voice low, resonant, yet touched with an uncertainty she had rarely heard from him.
"Hi," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper. Her fingers twitched, desperate to reach for him, but she hesitated, savoring the thrill of anticipation that was almost painful.
He sat across from her, leaning slightly forward, his gaze intense, unblinking, reading her like a book he had memorized but couldn't yet claim. "I didn't sleep well," he admitted, voice husky. "Thoughts… you, mostly."
Ava's lips curved into a soft smile, her chest tightening at his confession. "I haven't been able to focus either," she admitted. "It's… you. Always you."
Lucas's eyes softened, a flicker of vulnerability passing through them. He reached slowly, deliberately, his hand hovering just above hers on the table. Ava's pulse hammered in her ears. Every rational thought screamed at her to stay composed, to remain restrained, but her body betrayed her, leaning just slightly toward him.
"I want this," Lucas murmured, voice low, intense. "I want us. But… there's something I need to say. Something I've been holding back."
Ava's breath caught. "What is it?" she asked, voice trembling slightly, betraying the whirlwind of her own desire.
He exhaled sharply, his fingers finally brushing hers. Electricity shot through her at the contact. "Being near you… it's almost unbearable sometimes," he confessed. "Every glance, every word, every laugh—it tempts me. Tempts me in ways I can't control."
Her cheeks warmed, her chest tightening with a mix of desire and fear. "Lucas…" she whispered, barely managing the weight of her own confession. "I feel the same. More than I should admit. Every moment I'm away from you… I imagine being here, like this, with you."
His thumb brushed over her knuckles, slow, intimate, deliberate. "I've tried to fight it," he said, voice rough with emotion. "Tried to tell myself that we should wait, that we need time. But temptation… temptation doesn't care about rules or timing. And neither do I."
Ava's heart thudded so loudly she was sure he could hear it. Her free hand moved, almost unconsciously, toward his face, hesitating just short of touching the warmth of his jaw. "Lucas… I'm afraid," she admitted, voice soft. "Afraid that giving in means… losing control. But I also… want it. I want you."
Lucas's gaze darkened, intensity sharpening, the kind that made her stomach twist in both fear and longing. "Ava… there's no need to be afraid,I promise to not break your heart .I'll always protect it...do you know how badly I've imagined this?" he murmured. "Every time we've been close, every touch, every glance, it's been burning inside me. And now… now that I know you feel the same, it's… unbearable."
Her hand trembled, drawn toward his, and when their fingers finally entwined again, it was as if a spark had ignited between them, invisible and yet all-consuming. She leaned slightly, her forehead brushing his, breath mingling in the tiny space between them. The world outside the café ceased to exist. There were only their breaths, their racing hearts, and the temptation they both fought so desperately to resist.
"I shouldn't," Lucas whispered, lips near hers, voice thick with need. "But I… want to."
Ava's pulse spiked, and a shiver ran down her spine. Her voice was barely audible. "Then… want me."
The words hung in the air, fragile yet daring. Lucas's hand moved, tracing the line of her jaw, and she closed her eyes at the intimacy of the gesture. He was close enough that she could feel the warmth of his body, the steady thrum of his heartbeat echoing against her own. Every restraint, every careful thought, seemed to dissolve under the weight of their shared desire.
"Do you know how long I've wanted this?" he murmured, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "To hold you, to feel you close… to let everything else fall away?"
Ava's lips parted involuntarily, caught between a gasp and a whisper. "I… I've wanted it too," she admitted, heart in her throat. "More than I thought I could, more than I realized."
For a long moment, they simply looked at each other, a tense, exquisite pause, both aware of the peril and thrill of giving in. Every nerve in Ava's body screamed for closeness, for the taste of his lips, the brush of his fingers, the warmth that radiated from him like a magnetic force. And yet, she hesitated, savoring the moment, prolonging the temptation.
Lucas leaned closer, so near that she could feel his breath against her cheek. "Ava… one kiss please" he whispered, almost reverently. "One kiss, and everything changes."
Her heartbeat surged, mind screaming yes while reason whispered caution. "Lucas… maybe not yet," she said softly, trembling with the weight of longing and restraint. "I… I need a moment."
He nodded, barely, a flicker of disappointment shadowing his expression, but his eyes never left hers. "A moment," he echoed, voice low, almost a growl. "But the temptation… it's unbearable."
They stayed like that for what felt like hours, the café bustling around them yet a private world existing solely between the two of them. Each brush of fingers, each accidental touch of knees beneath the table, each lingering glance was a test of restraint and desire. Every movement, no matter how small, sent electricity through their bodies, tightening the threads of connection they had only begun to unravel.
Ava's hand moved subtly, tracing circles on the back of his hand, testing him, feeling his pulse, learning the rhythm of his desire. Lucas responded with gentle pressure, leaning closer, brushing his thumb across her knuckles. The heat between them was tangible, the temptation almost unbearable.
"You're dangerous," she whispered, her voice thick with longing. "You know that, right?"
Lucas's lips twitched into a teasing, dark smile. "I'm not dangerous," he murmured. "I'm inevitable."
A gasp escaped her, half-laugh, half-plea, and he closed the final inches between them, forehead to forehead, breaths mingling in that small, sacred space. "You tempt me, Ava," he admitted, eyes glimmering. "Every glance, every word, every touch. And I… I can't resist it forever."
She swallowed, torn between desire and caution, heart and reason, mind and body. "Then… let me tempt you too," she breathed.
Lucas's smile widened, dark and full of promise. "Oh, you do, Ava," he said softly. "You do, every single day."
And in that quiet, charged moment, with temptation thick in the air and hearts laid bare, both of them knew this: what had begun yesterday—the first confession—was only the beginning. The dance of desire, restraint, and surrender had just started, and neither of them was ready to stop. Not now, not ever.Lucas knew that it's not likeness-he love her.
The world outside continued but inside that little café, in that fragile, potent bubble of shared breath and longing, Ava and Lucas found something deeper than attraction, stronger than impulse, more intoxicating than desire itself.
As their fingers entwined and the world outside continued obliviously, a shadow lingered by the café window—tall, still, and watching." Ava didn't notice. Lucas did.
He had known a day like this would come—but he hadn't known it would arrive so soon, now that he had found Ava.
At that moment, Lucas leaned closer, voice low and urgent. "Ava… we need to leave. Now!!!"