We finished dinner slowly. Talked about everything and nothing. She told me about her mother, the good memories before the cancer. I told her about mine, the woman who'd stood up to my father until the very end.
It was the most normal evening I'd had in years. Maybe ever.
When we finally left, the sun had set completely. Stars were visible in the clear sky, something you never saw in the city.
I drove back slowly, not wanting the night to end. Not wanting to return to reality where we had to hide and sneak and pretend.
About halfway back, I pulled off onto a dark side road. Killed the engine.
Aria looked at me, questions in her eyes.
I reached over, cupped her face in my hands, brought her mouth to mine.
She opened for me immediately. My tongue swept past her lips, tasting wine and something sweet. Her hands fisted in my shirt, pulling me closer across the console.
This wasn't the desperate hunger from last night. This was something deeper. Slower. My mouth moved against hers with deliberate intent, memorizing every sound she made, every response.
I angled her head, deepening the contact. My hand slid into her hair, gripping gently. She moaned into my mouth and the sound went straight to my cock.
When I finally pulled back, we were both breathing hard.
"No matter what happens," I kept my forehead pressed to hers, "you're mine. Even if I can't stop the wedding. Even if everything falls apart. Even if we both end up dead because of this. You belong to me."
"And you belong to me." Her voice was fierce. Certain. "No matter what happens, I'm choosing you. Not your father. Not some escape plan. You."
Those words. Fuck, those words.
I wanted to pull her into the back seat. Wanted to make her repeat them while I was inside her. Wanted to mark every inch of her skin so she'd never forget who she'd chosen.
But we were already pushing our luck. Had been gone for hours. Needed to get back before Luca returned and started asking questions.
I started the car, pulled back onto the main road.
We made it to the estate with twenty minutes to spare. Parked the sedan back in the staff lot. Slipped in through the back gate. Aria hesitated before heading to her room.
"Thank you. For tonight. For making me feel normal for a few hours."
"Anytime. Literally anytime you want normal, you tell me and I'll make it happen."
She smiled, went up on her toes, pressed a quick touch of her lips to mine.
Then she was gone, disappearing down the hallway toward her room.
I stood there for a moment, trying to get my body under control, trying to wipe the stupid grin off my face.
My phone buzzed. Luca.
False alarm at the warehouse. Nothing there. Heading back now.
Perfecttiming.
I headed to my office, pulled up security footage, made sure there were no gaps that would show Aria and me leaving together.
This had been reckless. Stupid. The kind of risk that could get us both killed.
And I'd do it again in a heartbeat.
Because for a few hours tonight, we'd been just Kai and Aria. Two people who loved each other, planning an impossible future.
