Chapter 3 Love Tension

The night stretched on, the tension between them building steadily like a slow burn. Ava couldn't quite place it-was it the way Dominic's eyes seemed to follow her, or how he seemed to be everywhere she was, as if drawn to her? Every time they crossed paths in that bustling room, the air between them seemed to thicken, pulling her deeper into something she wasn't sure she was ready for.

She fought to keep her composure. There were people to talk to, formalities to maintain. But it wasn't the guests that captured her attention-it was him. Dominic had a way of making everything else feel distant, his presence wrapping around her, grounding her in ways that unsettled her.

Taking a slow breath, Ava straightened her back, forcing herself to focus as they walked through the crowd once more. When their hands brushed as they reached for the same drink at the bar, time seemed to stop. The buzz of conversation, the noise, even the air-it all faded out for that brief moment. It was just the two of them, a silent, electric charge hanging between them that neither could escape.

"Careful," Dominic murmured, his voice low and teasing as he took the glass. "You might start thinking I'm reading your mind."

Ava tried to laugh it off, pushing the flutter in her chest aside. "I'm sure you'd love that."

His smile was tight, but for a fraction of a second, his eyes softened-something vulnerable there, something unexpected-before he turned away, masking it with practiced ease. He was very good at pretending nothing was happening. But Ava knew better.

The night dragged on like that, with her walking in his orbit, feeling his gaze on her, hearing his voice in the background. He made small talk with the others, but his words were always meant for her, even if he didn't say them out loud.

As the event began to wind down, a sense of anticipation built within Ava. Something was shifting. She'd seen it in his eyes-the way he lingered a little too long when their gazes met, the way he seemed to seek her out in every crowd. But still, nothing was said. Not yet.

When the final speech wrapped up, and the guests started to trickle out, a strange sense of relief washed over Ava. The evening had drained her, emotionally and physically, but she was still standing there, beside him. It was inevitable. She wasn't getting away from him tonight. Not without a fight.

"You did well tonight," Dominic's voice cut through her thoughts, softer than usual. Everyone's talking about you. They see your potential."

Ava glanced at him, her heart skipping a beat as she caught a glimpse of something in his expression-something raw, something open.

She narrowed her eyes slightly. "Is that why you brought me here? To prove a point?"

He shook his head, his gaze steady and unwavering. "No. I brought you here because you belong here. You always have."

The words hit her like a punch to the gut. They were too direct, too honest. Before she could form a response, Dominic took a step closer. His presence was overwhelming, leaving her little space to breathe.

"I'm not going to pretend I'm happy you left," he said, his voice calm, but edged with something sharper now. But I need you here now. I need you, Ava.

Her heart fluttered in her chest, and for a second, the walls she had so carefully built around herself started to crumble. She looked away, desperately searching the room for something to anchor her, but all she could see was him-his eyes, burning with intent.

"I'm not your assistant anymore," she said, her voice barely above a whisper, though her heart was pounding.

"No, you're not." His response was heavy, weighed down with something unspoken, as he reached up and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. The gesture was so intimate, so unexpected, that Ava's breath caught in her throat.

She stepped back instinctively, the sudden proximity too much to handle. This wasn't supposed to happen. This wasn't part of the plan.

"You're not going to get what you want from me, Dominic," she said, her voice firm, but shaky beneath the surface.

"I don't want anything from you," he replied, his words clipped, almost cold. But there was something in his eyes-something unspoken-that flickered with a challenge. "Not yet. But I will."

The words hung in the air between them, charged with a quiet intensity, a promise she couldn't ignore. Ava's pulse quickened, her thoughts scattered.

She had to get away. She needed to leave before everything they'd avoided for so long exploded between them.

"I'm going back to the office tomorrow," she said, her voice trembling slightly as she turned toward the exit. I'm just here to do my job, Dominic. Nothing more.

He didn't stop her, but she could feel the weight of his gaze following her every step as she walked away. The night was far from over.

Ava barely slept that night. Her mind raced, replaying every moment from the gala, every brush of Dominic's hand, every fleeting look that carried a weight she wasn't ready to bear. Her head ached with confusion, her heart beat erratically with a fear she couldn't name. It was as if the very air around her had changed, and now she was left in the wake of something she wasn't sure she wanted but knew she couldn't ignore.

The next morning, the office felt suffocating. The familiar hum of phones, the clicking of keyboards, the low murmur of conversations-it all seemed distant, as if she were seeing it through a fog. Ava sat at her desk, her hands hovering over the keyboard, but nothing came. The file she was supposed to be working on sat untouched, her focus lost. Her thoughts kept drifting back to Dominic-his words, the unspoken promise, the way he'd looked at her with that intensity.

She had to push it out of her mind. She had a job to do. She didn't have the luxury of falling into whatever it was that was happening between them. It was dangerous. She knew better than to let herself get pulled into that kind of chaos.

But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't erase the memory of his touch. The softness in his eyes that, for one brief moment, had made her question everything.

The sound of her office door opening snapped her out of her thoughts. Ava quickly straightened, forcing her hands into motion, clicking on the file in front of her.

"Morning, Ava," came the smooth voice from the doorway. Her pulse fluttered in her chest before she even looked up.

She knew who it was before he even stepped inside. Dominic.

"Morning," she said coolly, not looking up. She kept her voice steady, hiding the rush of emotions that surged within her.

There was a pause, a slight hesitation that wasn't like him. Then the soft click of his shoes on the floor as he walked in.

"I didn't expect to see you back so soon," he said, his voice lowering. "I thought you might be taking the day off after last night."

Ava lifted her gaze, meeting his eyes for the first time since the gala. His face was unreadable, his expression neutral, but there was a spark there, an undercurrent of something unspoken.

"I'm fine," she replied, her tone clipped. "Just trying to get some work done."

He lingered by her desk for a moment, his presence filling the space between them. She could feel the tension, thick and palpable, and the heat that seemed to radiate from him despite the distance.

"About last night..." His voice trailed off, and Ava's heart skipped a beat. She didn't want to talk about it. Not yet. Not with him standing so close.

But Dominic didn't give her the chance to evade. He stepped closer, his movements slow but deliberate. "Ava, I need you to understand something," he said, his tone serious, no longer lighthearted. I didn't bring you back here just for company. I brought you back because I don't want to lose you. Not again.

The words hit her like a punch. She had been preparing for this conversation, but hearing it out loud made everything feel real. Too real.

"I'm not your assistant anymore," she reminded him, her voice quieter now, but firm. "You can't just expect me to fall in line because you say so."

"I don't expect you to fall in line," he replied softly, his eyes never leaving hers. I'm asking you to stay. To be here with me. As something more than just an employee. I want to rebuild what we had, Ava. I'm not going to pretend like I don't feel it. Like I don't want this.

Ava's breath caught in her throat. This wasn't the conversation she had imagined. She thought they would keep things professional, distance themselves from the past. But here he was, throwing everything into the open, daring her to face it.

"I can't," she said, her voice breaking slightly. I can't go back to that. Not after everything that happened.

Dominic stepped closer still, and she could feel the heat of his presence pressing in on her, making it harder to think, harder to breathe.

"Ava," he murmured, his voice low and steady, You and I both know that there's something between us that neither of us can walk away from. Not now, not ever. You're still here. You're still in my life. And that means something.

The room felt smaller. She could feel the weight of his words settling on her, heavy and inevitable. She had to fight it. She had to walk away. But when she opened her mouth to say something, anything to push him back, she found herself lost for words.

Instead, she stood, pushing the chair back with a force she hadn't intended. "I have work to do," she said, voice tight.

Dominic didn't move. He just stood there, watching her, the tension thick between them.

"I'll be in my office if you need me," he said, his voice soft but with a finality to it.

Ava nodded, not trusting herself to speak again, and turned toward her desk, her fingers trembling as they rested on the file in front of her. She could still feel his gaze on her back, and it made it hard to focus.

What was happening? What did he want from her? And more importantly, what did she want?

The questions swirled in her mind, but there was only one thing she knew for certain: Dominic was going to be a part of her life again. Whether she was ready for it or not.