Evaline:
The drive that was supposed to last only thirty minutes had stretched into forty-eight, and I had no one to blame but myself.
My cheeks were still warm, my lips tingled, and every time I glanced at Kieran's side profile - calm, stoic, pretending nothing happened - my stomach twisted in a mix of regret and something dangerously close to longing.
I leaned my head against the cool glass window, closing my eyes briefly.
What were you thinking, Eva?
When I first leaned close to him earlier, it was meant to be teasing. Harmless. Just to get a reaction from him - the quiet, composed Kieran who rarely let his emotions slip. I wanted to see him flustered for once, maybe break that endless calm he wore like armor.
But then… the moment I saw the look in his eyes - the heat he tried to contain, the tension in his throat as he swallowed hard - it had done something to me.
Something reckless.
Something I didn't quite recognize in myself.
