ARIA’S POV

The silence after we both came felt heavier than anything we had said out loud.

I lay on my back in the dark, chest still rising too fast, thighs sticky and trembling. My fingers rested against my swollen clit like they did not know how to leave. On the other end of the line Theo’s breathing slowly evened out, but neither of us spoke.

Finally I whispered, “We just made everything worse.”

His voice came low and rough. “I know.”

“The attraction didn’t cool off. It got louder.”

“I know that too.”

I rolled onto my side, phone still pressed to my ear, and pulled the sheet over...