Chapter 96. A Game of Denial

Dylan’s POV

Avery took a sharp step back, her fingers slipping from my grasp as if my touch burned her. The contact, however brief, had sent a jolt of electricity through me, a reminder of the connection that bound us together, a connection she was desperately trying to deny.

She shook her head uncertainty while she was at it.

“I—” she started, her voice barely a whisper, then clamped her lips shut, her chest rising and falling rapidly as if she was struggling to breathe.

She was flustered. The realization sent a surge of satisfaction through me. My words, my touch, my presence… it was affecting her. She couldn’t deny the pull between us, the undeniable chemistry that crackled in the air.

I could see it in the way she avoided my gaze, her eyes darting around the room as if searching for an escape. I could see it in the way her hands clenched into fists at her sides, as if she was gripping onto some invisible restraint, fighting against the emotio