I can’t help but watch the way her lips curl when she laughs, how her eyes sparkle, and how she tilts her head just slightly when I say something that catches her interest.
I’m not just drawn to her beauty anymore. She’s got this mix of warmth and mystery that keeps me on my toes, and I can’t seem to look away.
At some point, she shifts in her seat, her leg brushing against mine under the table, and a jolt runs through me. The moment lingers between us, that tiny spark of contact that feels electric.
The universe is giving us a little nudge, reminding me of everything I’ve been trying to ignore all night.
I take a deep breath, trying to focus, but all I can think about is how badly I want to kiss her. The thought hits me with a surprising intensity, and my heart races a little faster.
She feels it too, I’m sure of it. I see it in the way she’s looking at me now, her eyes darkening just a little, that same tension building between us.
“Dakota…”
I reach for my drink but can’t quite bring myself to take a sip. Instead, I set it down, my fingers grazing the rim of the glass before my hand rests on the table, just inches away from hers. I’m giving her the space to pull back if she wants to, but I’m not moving either.
She looks at my hand, then back at me, and I swear time slows down. Her lips part, and I catch the flash of uncertainty in her eyes. She’s wondering if she should pull back, but she doesn’t.
She leans in just a little closer, her breath warm on my skin. “You’re trouble, Reid,” she says softly, the words almost teasing but with a hint of something else beneath them.
I chuckle. The sound is low, almost a growl, and something’s shifting inside me. She’s not running away. She’s staying.
And every part of me wants to take that next step.
“Maybe,” I murmur, barely a whisper. “But sometimes, trouble’s exactly what you need.”
She shifts just a little closer, the distance between us so small now that I can feel her heart beat. Without another word, I lean in.
Slowly. Intentionally.
And her lips meet mine.
The kiss is soft, tentative; we’re both testing the waters, unsure of what will happen next. But the second our lips touch, everything shifts.
I feel the world fade away. It’s all just the two of us now, wrapped up in the heat of the moment, the pull of desire that’s been building ever since I laid eyes on her.
Her hand brushes against mine, and I lace my fingers through hers, pulling her closer. She responds in kind, her body melting into mine as the kiss deepens.
It’s slow, it’s electric, and it’s everything I’ve been wanting without even knowing it.
When we finally pull back, breathless, I smile that giddy, foolish smile that I’ve been trying to keep hidden all night.
“That was…” I trail off, still trying to find my words, but they don’t seem important anymore.
She smiles back at me, a soft, knowing smile, as if she’s not surprised by any of this. But it’s clear she feels it too. The pull. The connection.
The undeniable chemistry.
“Yeah,” she whispers, barely audible over the hum of the bar. “I think you might be right. Trouble could be… exactly what I need.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Dakota
What am I doing?
As Reid leads me out of the bar, his arm wrapped around my waist, my heart pounds crazily.
It’s a familiar sensation, but this time it’s different. Faster, sharper, like I’ve just stepped off the edge of a cliff and I’m falling without a parachute.
