Born enemies, bound by something far more dangerous.
Maven is fire. Adrianna is ice. Their attraction was never meant to exist-and once it does, it refuses to fade.
Every choice costs them something. Every moment together risks everything.
They were...
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I couldn't look away. And he didn't either.
Something unspoken passed between us—a flicker of familiarity, laced with something deeper, something dangerous. My heart beat a little too loud, a little too fast.
He set Rory down gently, his attention momentarily on her. "Look at you, all grown up," he teased, tapping her nose. "Turning ten already? Are you sure you're not eighteen?"
She giggled, clutching his hand. "Mommy says I act like I'm four."
"She's wrong," he said with mock seriousness. "You're more like five and a half."
Rory beamed, then turned toward me. "This is my Tito Mavey. He's my favorite."
"I gathered," I said, rising to my feet. My voice was calm, but I could feel the tremor in my chest.
He stepped closer. Close enough for me to smell the faint trace of his cologne—clean, fresh, with a hint of something woody. Expensive.
"I didn't expect to see you here," I said, my voice steady now, guarded.
"Family party," he replied casually. "I'm family."
"Right. Tito Mavey."
He smiled at that. Not with his mouth—but his eyes.
"You clean up well," I added, unsure why I said it.
"So do you," he said, looking at me in that way that made the air feel thick. "Though you look like you're about ten seconds from bolting."
I crossed my arms, unsure whether to be annoyed or impressed by his accuracy. "What gave it away?"
"The way your eyes keep looking for exits."
Guilty.
"Old habit."
"I'm not here to make things weird," he said, more quietly now. "Just here for Rory. Didn't expect to see you, either."
"You say that like I wasn't in my room last time."
He blinked—then that same gleam of amusement returned. "You remember."
I did. Too well.
"I wasn't sure if you were real," I admitted.
His voice dropped. "And now?"
I didn't answer. I couldn't. My thoughts were tangled up in memories and questions—too many, too fast.
Rory tugged at his sleeve. "Tito Mavey, come see my cake! It has unicorns on it!"
He glanced down at her, then back at me. "Duty calls," he said.
As he turned, he paused just long enough to say, "We'll talk later."
