My stomach flips.
I stand in front of him, suddenly feeling like a schoolgirl instead of a grown woman who has survived hell. And when I really look at him, it hits me all over again.
This man is gorgeous.
Warm brown skin. Broad shoulders. Tall, solid, grounded. Jeans that make it very clear strength lives in his legs. A fitted white tee that does nothing to hide the power in his frame. Jordan Grape 5s on his feet like he doesn’t even have to try. The clean taper fade, waves precise. The Rolex on his wrist. The gold David Yurman Cuban link chain resting against his chest. It’s simple, yet masculine. He’s dangerously alluring.
He catches me staring. “You enjoying the view?”
I roll my eyes, heat creeping up my neck. “Actually, I am.”
“Then come get a closer look.”
He pulls me gently into his lap, careful, intentional. I settle there, legs on either side of his, heart racing.
“You comfortable?” he asks.
“Yes.”
“Can I touch you?”
“Yes.”
His hands move slowly, reverently, following the curves of my body like he’s learning me, not claiming me. The contact alone makes my breath hitch.
“You know you’re beautiful, right?” he murmurs.
I nod, but the way he says it feels like a statement, not a question.
“Beautiful as hell.”
The words unravel something in me. A sound escapes my throat before I can stop it. He tilts my chin up so I’m looking at him, really looking, and the intensity in his eyes makes my pulse jump.
Then he kisses me.
Not rushed. Not greedy. Deep, steady, intentional. The kind of kiss that feels like a promise instead of a demand. My hands go to his shoulders instinctively, grounding myself in him, and for a moment I forget everything else.
Then reality crashes in.
“I… I’m cheating on Lena,” I say suddenly, pulling back, breathless and panicked.
He laughs softly, not dismissive, just calm.
I scowl. “That’s not funny.”
He keeps me right where I am, hands steady on my waist. “Calm down, baby. Lena and I talked. I told her I wanted to figure out my feelings for you, to see if there was any chance you might feel something for me.”
My heart stutters.
“She told me we should spend time together. See what’s there.”
Everything freezes. Though we accidentally crossed paths at the bar tonight. Nothing else was accidental.
Him waiting in his car to make sure I was safe. He did that for me. Because he cares for me and not as an extension of Lena. But because his own desire was to know me in depth. The surface-level façade I’d shown him wasn’t enough. I’m rendered wordless.
Instead, I lean in and kiss him this time. I let the truth of his words settle in my chest. The kiss is slower and deeper. Full of acknowledgment instead of confusion. Traversing the territory from romantic to explicit.
I feel his hardness beneath me. I wine my waist as I create the perfect rhythm—slow—igniting flames of unbridled desire.
