Julia stood in the living room, trying to gather her thoughts. Caspian had slipped his arms around her waist, his warm breath brushing her neck, his eyes fixed on hers.

The tension in the room was thick, and Julia could feel her heart race. She knew she should pull away, but part of her didn’t want to.

“Caspian, you are—” As she opened her mouth to say something, Caspian leaned in, his lips finding hers in a soft but firm kiss.

Her eyes fluttered shut for just a moment, but it was enough for everything else to fade away—the stress, the confusion, even her doubts. It was just her and...