Careful.
No tongue, no heat—just lips, gently meeting. The perfect, chaste kiss that’ll look great on camera.
But it doesn’tmatter.
Because the second his mouth touches mine, my heart stumbles in my chest like it forgot how to function. My breath catches. My brain goes fuzzy around the edges.
His lips are warm.
Firm.
Intentional.
The kiss lasts maybe two seconds. Three, tops.
And still, my knees are slightly wobbly when we pull apart.
I force a smile for Viktor, who lets out a sound that can only be described as swooning.
“Yes! Perfection! You look like you just shared a secret. One more, but this time with just a hint of separation—lips barely parted, eyes full of sin!”
I can’t breathe.
I steal a glance at Ash. He looks… unreadable. Calm. Professional. His expression is steady, lips set in a faint line, like that meantnothingto him.
Of course it didn’t.
Why would it?
He’s not into me like that. He’sgay. It didn’t mean anything. Just a photo op.
He said he was fine with the kiss, but I can’t stop thinking how exhausting it must be—having to hide who he really is. Having to kiss a woman he’s not attracted to just because the world isn’t ready for a gay rockstar.
So while I’m flustered and embarrassingly turned on,heis dealing with something much bigger.
That thought is enough to douse the heat still simmering in my chest. And honestly? I’m glad the photoshoot’s over.
When we leave the studio, my cheeks are still flaming.
Ash walks beside me, jacket slung over one shoulder, hair tousled from the wind machine, looking every inch the rockstar fiancé. He pulls out his phone, checking the time.
“Hey,” he says casually. “You hungry?”
I glance over. He’s not looking at me, not exactly—just ahead, like it’s no big deal.
“We could grab something,” he adds. “Nothing fancy. Just food. I know a place.”
And for a second, I almost say yes.
But I already have plans. Plans I made before this entire day turned my brain into marshmallow fluff.
“Oh—I can’t,” I say, trying not to sound like I regret it. “I’m meeting someone.”
Ash’s head turns sharply. “Someone?”
I nod, opening my messages to check the café address. “Yeah. A guy I used to know, actually. From college.”
Silence.
