Elena’s POV
The words, please stay—hung in the air between us. For a single, suspended heartbeat, neither of us moved. Then Damien’s thumb traced my bottom lip, his gaze searching mine for a final, fleeting certainty.
“Damien! I found my flippers!”
Darren’s voice from upstairs shattered the moment.
We sprang apart like guilty teenagers. Damien stepped back, running a hand through his hair, his chest rising and falling as steadily as my own. I pressed my palms against the cool counter, trying to steady the rush of feelings swirling inside me.
Then smiled weakly “Go get ready, sweetheart,” I managed, my voice thin. “We’re leaving for the beach soon.”
As his footsteps faded, Damien followed, and I fled upstairs, desperate for space after the charged tension.
The rest of the day was a
