KISS'S POV
The drive home was quiet.
Too quiet.
The city lights blurred past the window, streaks of gold and white flashing like memories I couldn't erase. My heart still hadn't slowed down. Every beat echoed the same thing.
Adrian.
The kiss replayed in my mind over and over again—his lips against mine, warm and firm, commanding yet careful. The way his hand had settled on my waist, possessive without trapping me. The way he kissed like he knew exactly what he was doing… and exactly what he wanted.
Me.
When we reached my street, an unexpected pang hit my chest.
Disappointment.
I didn't want the moment to end. I didn't want to step out of the car and return to reality—back to expectations, control, and pain.
Adrian parked smoothly in front of my house.
Neither of us moved immediately.
The air between us felt heavy, charged with things left unsaid.
"Here we are," he said quietly.
His hand brushed mine as he passed my bag to me.
It was brief.
But it sent a shiver through me.
I took the bag slowly, my fingers grazing his on purpose this time. He noticed. His jaw tightened slightly, his eyes darkening.
I opened the door and stepped out.
The cool night air hit my skin instantly, raising goosebumps along my arms. I hugged myself unconsciously, my body still warm from him.
Adrian leaned down slightly from the driver's seat.
"I'll be expecting us to meet ...if fate permits us," he murmured.
His voice was low, intimate—dangerous.
My heart skipped.
"I'll be waiting," I replied softly before I could stop myself.
His lips curved into a slow, satisfied smile.
As I walked toward the front door, I felt his eyes on me. I didn't need to look back to know he was watching—protective, possessive, intense.
But I did anyway.
Our eyes met.
Something unspoken passed between us.
Then… he smiled and drove away.
I stood there for a moment longer than necessary, my chest rising and falling unevenly.
Inside, I shut the door behind me and leaned against it, closing my eyes.
The house was quiet. Too quiet.
The faint scent of my father's cologne lingered in the hallway, grounding me back into reality. I kicked off my shoes, dropped my bag on the floor, and walked slowly toward my bedroom.
Each step felt heavier.
I closed the door behind me and finally allowed myself to breathe.
I collapsed onto the bed, pulling the blanket around me. My fingers curled into the fabric as memories flooded back—his lips, his touch, the way he looked at me like I was something rare and dangerous.
A smile slipped onto my lips.
For the first time in months… I felt alive.
My phone buzzed on the nightstand.
I ignored it.
This moment was mine.
I closed my eyes and let myself imagine him again—his smirk, the intensity in his eyes, the way he made me feel safe and undone at the same time.
I went to the kitchen to get something to eat.
And then—
"Where the hell have you been?!"
My head sharply snapped toward him.
My heart dropped.
I inhale sharply.
My father stood in the doorway, arms crossed, his face twisted with anger.
The warmth inside me vanished instantly, replaced by dread.
"I've been calling you all night!" he barked. "Do you think you can just disappear whenever you like?"
I swallowed hard.
The kiss still burned on my lips, but reality had returned with claws.
"I—" My voice faltered.
He stepped closer, towering over me.
"You're becoming uncontrollable," he continued, his tone low and sharp. "Sneaking out, embarrassing the family, ignoring my calls—"
"I'm not a child anymore," I said coldly, surprising even myself.
His eyes narrowed.
"That's exactly the problem," he snapped.
My hands trembled at my sides.
Inside, my heart still raced—not from fear alone, but from the memory of Adrian's arms around me. From the realization that someone out there saw me differently.
And suddenly, I knew.
My life was about to become far more complicated.
---
ADRIAN'S POV
The moment I drove away, it felt like I'd left something behind.
No.
Someone.
The road stretched endlessly before me, but my mind was miles away. Her scent still clung to me. Her taste lingered on my lips.
I tightened my grip on the steering wheel.
Get a grip, Adrian.
I needed distraction.
So I drove straight to my company.
The towering building stood like a fortress against the night—steel, glass, power. Normally, it grounded me. Tonight, it felt empty.
I went straight to my office, loosening my tie, rolling up my sleeves.
But no matter how many files I opened, how many schedules I reviewed, my thoughts kept drifting back to her.
Her laugh.
Her defiance.
The way she melted into my arms during that kiss.
"Damn it," I muttered.
I flipped through my schedule mindlessly—meetings, deals, interviews with candidates for my new secretary.
None of it mattered.
My phone buzzed.
I frowned when I saw the caller ID.
Father.
I answered.
"What is it?" I asked curtly.
His voice came through calm but firm. "You sound distracted."
"I'm busy."
"Are you?" he asked knowingly. "Or are you thinking about the girl?"
My jaw clenched.
"So you know."
"I know everything," he replied. "And if you're serious about giving love a chance this time, you need to be prepared."
Prepared for what?
"For war," he said calmly. "Because the moment you care, people will try to use it against you."
I stared out the window, the city glowing beneath me.
"I won't let anyone touch her," I said coldly.
A pause.
Then, "Then you'll have to fight, don't make mistakeslike I regretly did," my father replied.
The call ended.
I stood there in silence, the weight of his words settling heavily in my chest.
For the first time in years, I wasn't afraid of enemies.
I was afraid of losing her.
And that fear told me one thing with terrifying clarity—
This wasn't just attraction.
This was the beginning of something I would destroy worlds to protect.