CHAPTER 3: A Forbidden Attraction

CHAPTER 3: 

(Ava's POV)

7 a.m.

It had been barely 24 hours since the conversation I’d had with Damon on our way from the airport, yet I couldn’t stop thinking about him.

Shit.

Why was I even thinking about him? Sure, I couldn’t deny how strikingly attractive he was, but I knew he was completely off-limits.

I blinked, trying to piece together how the previous day had ended. When I arrived at the apartment Damon shared with Adrianna, she wasn’t home yet. Damon had led me to a large, spacious room at the far end of a hallway.

“This room is yours for as long as you want to stay with us. I can’t wait to explore with you,” he’d said with a wink before leaving.

That was the last I’d seen of him. I’d locked myself in the room, taken a hot shower, and collapsed onto the bed.

Still, I hadn’t been able to sleep. Instead, I lay there, replaying Damon’s words in the car over and over.

I pushed myself up from the bed and wandered over to the window. My stomach rumbled as I let out a yawn. I was hungry, and I had no idea what time it was. I still hadn’t met Adrianna.

As I wondered whether she’d come home the previous night, a knock at the door pulled me from my thoughts.

It was Adrianna.

“Ava? Are you up?” she called out.

I swallowed the lump in my throat. “Yeah, I’m up.”

I headed to the door and unlocked it, letting her in. As soon as she stepped into the room, she wrapped her arms around me, pulling me into a hug.

She smelled of lavender, and her hair was tied up in a neat bun.

“I’ve missed you so much,” she said, her voice muffled against my shoulder.

I was stunned but hugged her back. Seconds later, she pulled away, beaming at me.

“I’ve missed you too,” I muttered with a small smile.

“I got home late last night and decided to let you sleep. Anyway, I was about to head out for brunch with some friends, but I wanted to check in first. Are you doing okay?” she asked, leaning against the doorframe.

I forced a smile. “I’m fine.”

She raised an eyebrow, clearly not convinced. “Damon told me you seemed really withdrawn when he met you. I get it, Ava. The breakup must have hurt you pretty badly.”

I shuffled my feet uncomfortably. I wasn’t ready to talk about the breakup—especially not with Adrianna.

Adrianna continued, "Listen, I was thinking. Damon’s a great listener—he’s been my rock during some tough times. Maybe you should talk to him. It might help.”

I froze. “Talk to him? About what?”

“About Gregory. About everything,” she said with a shrug. “He’s actually trained as a therapist, you know? He used to work with people dealing with breakups and grief before he shifted careers. He’s incredible at it. I really think he could help you.”

The idea of pouring my heart out to Damon felt absurd. The same man who had flirted so boldly with me yesterday couldn’t possibly be the one to help me heal.

“I don’t know,” I said cautiously. “It might be... weird.”

“Nonsense!” Adrianna said, waving a dismissive hand. “You’re family, Ava. Damon would do anything to help. Besides, he really enjoys it—it’s like second nature to him.”

I forced a nod, hoping the conversation would end. But Adrianna wasn’t done.

“In fact,” she added with a mischievous grin, “I’ll tell him to sit down with you today. You’re too beautiful to let some loser like Gregory ruin your confidence.”

Her words made my chest tighten. She meant well, but she had no idea what she was setting into motion.

---

A couple of hours later, I found myself in the living room with Damon. Adrianna had practically shoved me into the room before heading out. She’d left me alone with him, trusting him completely.

Damon was lounging on the couch, his legs stretched out casually, one arm draped over the backrest.

“Adrianna thinks I can help you move on from that idiot who broke your heart,” he said, his deep voice cutting through the silence. “Do you think I can?”

I sat stiffly on the edge of an armchair, clutching a throw pillow for dear life. “We don't have to do this."

He smirked, his green eyes glinting with something I couldn’t quite place. “Well, we will. Why don’t we start with the basics? How are you feeling?”

“How do you think I’m feeling?” I snapped before I could stop myself.

His smile didn’t waver. “Hurt. Betrayed. Maybe even angry?”

I clenched my jaw. “What’s the point of this? I don’t need a therapy session, Damon. Especially not with you."

“Maybe not,” he said, leaning forward, his elbows resting on his knees. “But Adrianna asked me to help, and I’m not the kind of man to refuse her requests. As a matter of fact, I love that she trusts me to help you."

The mention of her name made me flinch. “She has no idea what you’re really like,” I muttered under my breath.

His eyes narrowed slightly, but the smirk remained. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You know exactly what I mean,” I shot back, my voice barely above a whisper.

Damon leaned back, watching me intently. “You’re a feisty one, aren’t you? I like that. Women like you who act so uninterested usually end up falling so damn hard in the end."

I stood abruptly, my pulse racing. “Damon! If you're looking for someone to play silly games with, I'm not interested."

Before I could leave, he was on his feet, blocking my path. He moved so quickly that it startled me.

“Ava,” he said, with a low and commanding voice. “Sit down.”

I hesitated. When I didn’t move, he stepped even closer. “I said, sit.”

Something in his tone made my knees buckle, and I sank back into the armchair.

Damon crouched in front of me, his eyes level with mine. “I’m not the bad guy here,” he said softly. “But I’m also not going to let you walk away from this conversation. Not until we’ve cleared the air.”

“Cleared the air?” I echoed, my voice shaking.

“Yes,” he said. “Because whether you like it or not, we’re connected now. And the sooner you accept that, the better it’ll be for both of us.”

My breath hitched. “Connected? How?”

He reached out, his fingers brushing against mine. It was a simple touch, but it felt electric.

“You feel it too, don’t you?”

I yanked my hand away, my heart pounding. “Stop it, Damon. This is wrong.”

“Wrong?” he repeated, tilting his head. “Or inevitable?”

The intensity in his gaze made it hard to breathe. He leaned in, his face inches from mine.

“You can fight it all you want, Ava, but you and I both know there’s something here. Something you can’t ignore.”

Before I could say anything, Damon leaned in. The kiss was slow at first, gentle, like he was testing me. I should have pushed him away, I knew that. But something inside me—something I didn’t want to admit—wanted it. Wanted him.

I broke away from him, breathless. My mind reeled. “No, Damon. This isn’t right. You’re... you’re my sister’s husband.”

Damon didn’t pull away. Instead, he stared at me.

“And yet, here we are, Ava. You can fight it all you want, but we both know there’s something between us.”

I pushed him away with more force this time, my hands trembling. “This is wrong. You can’t do this.”

A smirk played at the corner of his lips.

“We’ll see, Ava. We’ll see how long you can keep resisting.”

Before I could think of a response, the front door opened, startling us both.

Adrianna’s cheerful voice called out, “I’m back!”

I froze.