Ryder didn’t wait for her to answer. He climbed out, rounded the hood, and opened her door. His hand wrapped firmly around hers, grounding her, pulling her into the cool night air. She didn’t protest when he led her toward the porch, their footsteps crunching over the gravel in a silence thick with unspoken words.

Inside, the warm lamplight softened the edges of the living room, but the air between them stayed charged. Ryder shut the door with a quiet click and leaned back against it as if ...