Rachel's breathing had evened out, her tiny body soft and limp between them. Bella's hand lingered in her daughter's curls, unwilling to let go of the peace in that moment. She didn't notice at first that Lucas had shifted closer, the quiet weight of his presence pressing against her awareness.
"You're dangerous, you know that?" His voice was barely above a whisper, warm enough to graze her skin.
Bella turned her head, startled to find him only a breath away. "Dangerous?"
His gaze held hers, steady and unflinching. "Yeah. The way you look right now. It does things to me."
Her throat tightened. She should have pulled back, made a joke, anything. But instead, she found herself trapped in his eyes, the air between them crackling.
"Lucas…" she whispered, the warning fragile even to her own ears.
His lips curved, but not in his usual smug grin. This one was slower, more dangerous. "What? I'm only telling the truth."
For a moment, neither of them moved. The world seemed to shrink—just the three of them in that quiet room, Rachel asleep between them, and the two of them balanced on the edge of something neither dared to name.
His gaze flickered down, lingering on her mouth, then back up again. The movement was subtle, almost imperceptible, but Bella felt it like a jolt straight through her. Her breath hitched, her fingers clutching the blanket as if it could anchor her against the pull.
He leaned in—just a fraction, but it was enough. Her heart thundered in her chest, her lips parting before she could stop herself.
And then Rachel stirred.
A tiny sigh. The shift of a hand against Bella's side.
The spell broke. Bella jerked back, heart still racing, cheeks aflame.
She stood quickly, smoothing Rachel's hair as though that had been her only intention all along. "We should… let her rest."
The room was too quiet after Bella stepped past him, her pulse still drumming in her ears. She reached the door, her hand brushing the knob, when Lucas's low voice followed her.
"You keep running away every time," he said, almost lazily, though the edge beneath it made her chest tighten.
Bella froze, glancing back. He was still by the bed, Rachel curled between the pillows, her little breaths steady. But his eyes weren't on their daughter. They were fixed on her.
"I'm not running," she whispered.
Lucas tilted his head, taking a slow step closer, his voice dipping lower. "Then what are you doing? Because it feels like every time I get close—" He cut himself off, the unfinished sentence heavy with meaning.
Her chest rose with a shaky breath. Something inside her twisted—fear, heat, longing. She almost looked away, almost let him believe his assumption. But instead, she surprised even herself.
She turned back, slow and deliberate, her gaze locking on his as she crossed the room. Her fingers brushed his wrist, light at first, then firmer, tugging him toward her with a boldness that startled them both.
"I'm not running," she repeated, her voice low but steadier this time.
Lucas stilled, momentarily taken aback. The Bella before him wasn't retreating, wasn't hiding behind flushed cheeks and hurried exits—yet there was a tremor in her defiance, a flicker of vulnerability that made her boldness burn even hotter.
Heat rushed through him, sharp and consuming. He wasn't used to being pulled—people bent to him, not the other way around. Yet here she was, tugging him closer like she owned the air between them. And he let her.
"Brave," he murmured, his tone rougher now, though his lips curved faintly. "You really want to test me?"
Her fingers tightened on his wrist, though her breath caught at her own daring. "Maybe I should remind you—I don't run."
It shouldn't have felt so intimate, but it did. The air thickened as she held her ground, their bodies aligning until the space between them was a breath, a heartbeat. He could feel the warmth of her skin, the rise and fall of her chest, the tension of restraint in her touch.
Their breaths mingled, lips so close they could taste the possibility, suspended in that fragile, dangerous second—
And then his phone rang.
The sharp sound sliced through the moment. Lucas cursed under his breath, pulling it out, his jaw tight.
Bella crossed her arms, turning away with a sharp exhale. "Always."
The single word stung more than she intended.
Lucas silenced the phone without answering. His voice dropped, firm, unwavering. "Next time I'm with you, I'll switch it off completely. No one gets to interfere. Not even the world."
Her lips parted, heat rising to her cheeks at the rawness of it. She looked away quickly, brushing a hand down her dress. "Go. Before they think their boss is missing."
Lucas smirked faintly at her choice of words but didn't push further. He slipped the phone into his pocket again. "We'll finish this later, Bella."
The promise in his tone sent her heart into another spiral.