"I love you not only for what you are but for what I am when I am with you." - Roy Croft

  Katerina

  The click of the lock echoed in the quiet hallway as I closed my front door behind me. I leaned against it for a moment, letting out a soft sigh. My heart was still fluttering, a hummingbird trapped in my chest. Ethan’s kiss… it had been… wow. Just wow. Slow, tender, and full of promise. A promise I desperately wanted to believe in.

  I kicked off my heels and padded into the living room, Maximus greeting me with an enthusiastic tail wag and a series of happy barks. I knelt down and ruffled his fur, burying my face in his soft fur. “Hey, buddy,” I murmured, my voice still a little breathless. “Did you miss me?”

  He whined in response, licking my face. I laughed, the sound echoing in the stillness of my house. The quiet was a stark contrast to the pulsing music and vibrant energy of Velocity. It felt… strange. Like a dream, I was slowly waking up from.

  But it wasn’t a dream. It was real. Ethan. The way he’d looked at me, his whiskey-colored eyes sparkling with something… intense. The way he’d moved on the dance floor, so confident, so natural. The way he’d kissed me…

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  I blushed again, even in the privacy of my own home. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d felt this… giddy. This… hopeful. It was silly, I knew. I shouldn’t get carried away. It was just one night. One dance. One kiss.

  But it felt like more than that. Ethan… he was different. There was a genuine warmth to him, a kindness that went beyond surface charm. He was easy to talk to and comfortable to be around. And he was… intriguing. There was something about him that drew me in, a quiet intensity that made me want to know more. Like he was a puzzle I desperately wanted to solve, a quirky riddle wrapped in a handsome package.

  What I felt for Ethan… it was different. It was… electric. Like a jolt of energy that made my heart race and my breath catch. It was exciting. And a little bit scary. Like finally finding the missing piece of a puzzle, but realizing it might not fit perfectly, and the edges might be a little rough, but oh, how thrilling it would be to try and make it work anyway.

  Before I did anything else, I opened the back door and let Maximus out into the fenced backyard. “Go on, boy,” I said, watching him bound out, eager to explore the night. I watched him for a few minutes, enjoying the quiet stillness of the night and replaying the evening in my head.

  Then, I went inside and headed straight for the bathroom. I washed my face, removing the remnants of my makeup, and looked at myself in the mirror. My cheeks were still flushed, and my eyes were sparkling. I couldn’t help but smile.

  Back in the bedroom, I changed out of my dress, hanging it carefully in the closet. As I slipped into my pajamas, I couldn’t help but smile. I replayed the night in my head, every word, every touch, every kiss.

  Maximus scratched at the door, signaling he was ready to come back in. I let him in, and he promptly curled up at the foot of my bed. I lay down and stared at the ceiling. My mind was racing, filled with thoughts of Ethan. His smile, his laugh, the way he’d looked at me…

  I closed my eyes, and his kiss replayed in my mind. It was a sweet, lingering kiss, and it left me wanting more. Much more. I drifted off to sleep, a smile on my face, the echo of his kiss still lingering on my lips. Tonight had been… amazing. And I had a feeling it was just the beginning.