Chapter 3: Fire and Ice
Their connection grew quickly, each encounter more intense than the last. They spent stolen nights together, unable to resist the pull. Jace's reserved nature fascinated Lia, but she could tell he was holding back, haunted by a past he hadn't shared yet. As passionate as he was with her, there were moments he'd grow distant, as though struggling against something within himself.
One evening, after a heated make-out session that left them both breathless, Lia asked him about his hesitation. Jace's expression darkened, and he pulled away slightly, breaking the intimacy of the moment. He admitted to her that he'd lost a colleague in a fire, a loss that haunted him and made him afraid of letting anyone else get too close. Lia reached for him, wrapping her arms around his neck, reassuring him with her touch that she was there.
But despite her comfort, Jace's fears lingered. This tension created a rift, and one night, after another intense argument, Lia decided she couldn't wait around for him to let her in. She left, heartbroken and torn, wondering if she'd ever see him again.
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Chapter 4: Breaking Point
Weeks passed, with both of them lost in their own pain. Lia threw herself into her art, painting through sleepless nights as she tried to bury thoughts of Jace. She missed the way he'd look at her, his hands on her waist, his soft murmurs in the quiet of the night. For Jace, every shift at the fire station was a reminder of what he'd lost, and he questioned if he'd ever be ready to love again.
But fate wasn't finished with them. One night, a fire broke out at a building near Lia's gallery, and Jace was on the scene. Lia, hearing about the blaze, rushed to find him, pushing through the crowd in desperation. When she saw Jace safe and unhurt, she ran to him, throwing her arms around his neck and burying her face in his shoulder.
In the quiet moment that followed, Jace held her tightly, realizing he couldn't let her go. "I'm sorry, Lia. I don't want to keep pushing you away," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. They kissed, deeply and passionately, as if the world around them had disappeared. Jace's hands roamed her back, pulling her closer until they were lost in each other, the heat between them reigniting the fire that had always lingered just beneath the surface.
