Adrian was trapped.
Alexander's words—"Kiss me and prove it"—were a gauntlet thrown down, not just to challenge Adrian's sexuality, but to force him to break the professional distance he desperately clung to. The phrase, "For business purposes, of course," was the cruellest, most transparent lie, and it filled Adrian with a chaotic mix of fury and intense anticipation.
He stared at Alexander's lips, so close now he could feel the ghost of the man's breath on his own. The blood thrumming in Adrian's ears drowned out the sound of the highway. His mind screamed a thousand warnings: Danger! Lie! Run!
But his body, fueled by the terrifying, undeniable heat that radiated from Alexander, felt paralysed.
