That night when I was dressing in front of the mirror, I tried to adjust the material of the dress over my hips. And I was stunned that it was very fitted and even my curves were well embraced by the dress.Suddenly, I saw the face of a stranger, the woman who posed as a classy, well-groomed and, well, . . . out of place.This was not something I got to do in my past relationships or at least I was not good at it. Not anymore.The sound of Kylo’s footsteps approaching helped me out of my reverie and when I turned around I saw him standing in the doorway wearing a black suit that made him the capable CEO he was.But there was a gentleness in his eyes as he looked at me now, a gentleness that robbed me of my words.‘You look beautiful’, he said in a matter-of-fact way, but his words and the way he was looking at me, was enough to make the room feel much warmer.I could see a reddening of color cross my face and I averted my eyes unsure of how to react. Like all things in life, positive
In his voice, there was no question, just an order that I had to obey.When we got out of the car, the coolness of night blew against my cheeks. Kylo held onto my hand and took me inside without uttering much.The moment we crossed the threshold, the air became different; it was heavier and had a certain feel in it that I could not comprehend but could sense deep inside me.There were no lights. Instead, we walked through the house’s shadows as each footstep brought us closer to our fate. While climbing upstairs together, my heart beat fast due to the silence that existed between us louder than any other human word.Finally when we got to the bedroom place Kylo stopped. He turned facing me with dark eyes filled with something indescribable and deep within him. Gasps escaped my lips when he lifted up his hands thus holding onto my face gently against himself notwithstanding the heat coming out of him.“Varya,” he said softly as if he was afraid to make a noise at all. His thumb ran acr
KYLO’S POVThere were no words exchanged, we were quiet, but the awkwardness of that was not felt and nobody seemed to mind. This, in particular, was a sensation that I could almost smell; there was still the ghost of Varya’s perfume to be felt – the memory of her physical closeness and desire.My fingers clicked on the steering wheel and I felt the internal tension rise like lava rising through the throat of a volcano.Tonight was different in the sense that I could not contain myself and the signals my body was sending to hers. I still could not understand it but touch, even meeting her eye, involved a spark, and it was rather provoking.It was then that I switched off the car engine and looked her way, then at the house. For a moment she gazed at the window and her profile was visible in the tawdry neon lighting from outside the building.I stood there simply looking at her Cheeks parted a little, lips a little open, even the gentle rise and fall of her chest fascinated me. I felt
Weeks had passed since that night with Kylo. Stolen weeks, sneaky pecks, and much more love than I’d ever imagined from him.I could still feel his gentle hands on my skin, his soft lips on mine; he had become more attentive, more loving – as if trying to rewrite our story.He used to murmur a soft goodbye before leaving for work each morning and then every evening he would invariably draw me closer; sometimes wrapping his arms around my waist while we cooked together or showering kisses on my hair strands whenever we sat in front of television.His demeanor was uncanny, so unreal-like at times. I’d never seen this side of him before—the side that wanted to show the world that I was his.Even in the office, where we usually maintained a professional distance, he didn’t hesitate to show his affection. Sometimes, it was a lingering touch on my back as we walked through the hallway.At other moments, it was more overt—a peck on my cheek as we went by in the break room, or the way he woul
It was becoming increasingly difficult to breathe.Every single moment Kylo entered the room, I had this sensation of constriction in my thorax. Not due to the fact that I did not want him there, but rather because I did want him there.The realization became worse with every passing day knowing that holding on to those passionate emotions would result in more agony once our affair came to an end.I needed to distance myself, to protect what little was left of my heart. But Kylo was making it impossible. Every gentle smile, every lingering touch, every fleeting kiss made me want to believe that there was more to this than a contract.That maybe, somehow, he felt the same way I did. But I couldn't allow myself to be fooled by hope.Our contract was still there, a quiet shadow that never left my mind. It loomed over every moment, every interaction, reminding me that whatever tenderness I was seeing from Kylo was temporary.Today was no different. Kylo had come home earlier than usual. H
KYLO’S POVUntil now, I have never realized that silence could be extremely loud.Varya had been rather shy, but when I came back from a business trip, she was distant, as if she created an impenetrable barrier for herself. She smiled less. Spoke even less. And when she did speak her manner was confined, as if she did not want to expose herself or say too much. It was maddening.We had come so far—there had been moments when I felt that we were close to attaining something real. But now she was a stranger, and as distant as if she had shut herself up in a room beyond my access.I stood at the other side of the room and looked at her, her back turned towards me, she was gazing at the window. She was totally unaware of my presence, but all I could do was watch her.How her shoulders tensed, how she folded her hands in front of her, how her fingers incessantly twirled—she looked beyond uneasy. And it was my fault. I could not just sit idly and feel that I had let something slip off my ha
VARYA’S POVKylo’s words haunted me long after they left his lips. "I'm not leaving here."He spoke with such assurance and conviction that I really wanted to believe him. But despite my best efforts, I was unable to.How was I able to?I sat looking down at my hands from the edge of our bed. The space gave me the impression that I was invading someone else's life even while it seemed strange and familiar at the same time. My heart raced thinking of last night—the intimacy and passion—but doubt was always there too.Despite Kylo's increased attentiveness and compassion, I still felt as though I was precariously close to the edge. The contract was set to end in just a month.One month. What happens then? Would all these tender moments vanish into thin air, as if they never existed? Would Kylo revert back to the distant, business-focused man I had first married? Would I be able to handle it if he did?I wasn’t sure. I wasn’t sure of anything anymore.When he had held me so tightly last
As I sit at my desk, the office buzzes around me, but I’m lost in thought. For weeks, Kylo has been different. His touches lingered longer, his kisses were deeper, and his smiles—real smiles—became more frequent.But I couldn't bring myself to accept those moments fully. My mind kept reminding me that our contract would end in just a month, and no amount of affection could change that. I had kept my guard up, knowing that there was no future beyond this temporary arrangement.But today, something shifted.I’m scanning through emails when I overhear hushed whispers at the far end of the room. The office gossip has been a constant background noise, something I’ve learned to block out. Yet, a word catches my attention, Kylo.My heart races, and I tilt my head slightly, pretending to still be focused on my computer, while my ears tune in. They are new employees and don’t know my relationship with Kylo.“...the model, I swear I saw them together last night. They looked cozy,” one voice say