KeiThe cool night air hit my face as I stepped outside the bar, each step feeling heavier than the last. I could barely breathe, the weight of what had just happened between Gio and me pressing down on my chest like a suffocating force. The memory of his cold words still echoed in my mind, slicing through me with brutal clarity.“This is just the way things are.”I wanted to scream, to cry, to do anything that would release the torrent of emotions swirling inside me. But instead, I walked—faster and faster—until I was almost running, desperate to get away. My thoughts were a tangled mess, my heart a warzone of confusion, hurt, and anger.How had it come to this? How had I let myself fall so deeply into Gio’s world, only to be pushed away time and time again?I reached the edge of the sidewalk and stopped, my breath coming in shallow gasps as I stared out at the bustling city in front of me. People passed by, oblivious to the storm raging inside me. I felt... alone. Completely, utterl
Kei For a moment, I couldn’t move, couldn’t speak. His words hung in the air between us, heavy with promise and intensity. The heat of his touch burned through my skin, grounding me in a way that felt terrifying and comforting all at once. I wanted to believe him—to believe that we could fix whatever this was, that we could navigate the chaos between us and come out on the other side. But part of me, the part that had been hurt over and over again, was still afraid.Afraid of falling deeper into Gio’s world, afraid of getting lost in him all over again.“I don’t know if I can do this,” I whispered, my voice barely audible. My chest tightened, and for the first time in a long time, I felt vulnerable in front of him, completely exposed.His hand moved to cup my chin, forcing me to look up into his eyes. The storm of emotions swirling there mirrored the chaos in my heart—anger, frustration, but something else, something deeper. “You can,” he said softly, his voice losing some of its sha
KeiThe clock on the wall ticked loudly, filling the silence of the empty room. I sat on the couch, my knees drawn to my chest, eyes glued to the door as I waited. The tension in the air was thick, suffocating. Gio had been gone for hours, and despite trying to distract myself, worry gnawed at me like a persistent ache.I glanced at my phone for the hundredth time, hoping for a message, a call—anything. But there was nothing.He was out there somewhere, and I didn’t know why. Didn’t know what was eating at him or why he was acting the way he had been lately. Gio was always intense, always controlled, but something was different. The tension between us had been building for days, simmering just beneath the surface, and now it felt like something was about to snap.Just as I was about to stand and go to bed, the sound of the front door creaking open broke the silence. My heart jumped, and I immediately got to my feet, the worry in my chest intensifying. I hurried toward the entrance, an
Kei I lay there beneath him, my body trembling as the weight of our moment settled over us. Gio's breath was hot against my skin, his lips tracing a path down my neck, and my mind was spinning, lost in a haze of desire and confusion.It should’ve been enough. That intense, fiery connection between us—the one we’d been resisting for so long—should have left me satisfied, but it didn’t. It only left me feeling more tangled, more lost in the emotional storm that had been brewing between us.I stared up at the ceiling, my chest heaving with ragged breaths as I tried to catch up to the reality of what had just happened. My hands were still in his hair, my legs wrapped around him as if I couldn’t bear to let go. And truthfully, I wasn’t sure I could.But even now, in the quiet after the storm, I could feel the tension lurking beneath the surface, waiting to explode again.Gio shifted above me, his hands sliding down my sides, his touch possessive even in the aftermath of our passion. I exp
KeiThe office was unusually quiet, save for the soft hum of computers and the occasional shuffle of papers. But beneath that calm exterior, the tension was thick—so thick it felt like the air itself was pressing down on me, suffocating. It had been days since Gio’s drunken breakdown, and since then, the cold treatment had only grown worse.I didn’t understand it. One minute, he was all over me—possessive, desperate, needing me like I was his last breath of air. And the next, he was shutting me out, keeping me at arm’s length, barely acknowledging my existence.Now, every glance in his direction felt like stepping on glass. Gio barely looked at me during meetings, barely spoke to me unless it was strictly business. It was as if that night had never happened, as if we hadn’t been tangled in each other, lost in the fire we couldn’t control.But I couldn’t stop thinking about it—about him. The way his hands had felt on my skin, the way his lips had burned against mine. And now, every mom
KeiMy hands trembled as I stared at the screen, Gio’s last message burning into my mind. Come to my office. Now. The command was clear, and though I hadn’t seen Gio react earlier, I felt his control tightening around me, pulling me back toward the storm that had been brewing between us for days.I swallowed hard, slipping the phone into my bag as I hurried back toward the office. Each step felt heavier than the last, the weight of what was waiting for me dragging me down. Zion’s smug words echoed in my mind, the tension from our lunch lingering like a bad taste in my mouth. I couldn’t shake the feeling that I had walked straight into a trap—one that Zion had set with calculated precision.When I finally reached the office, my heart was pounding so hard I could barely breathe. The building was quieter than before, most of the employees having already left for the day. I hesitated outside Gio’s office door, my hand hovering over the handle as a flood of emotions rushed through me.Was
GioThe sound of Zion’s name on my phone had barely faded, but all I could think about was her. Kei, standing in front of me, her breath ragged, lips swollen from our kiss. The heat between us hadn’t disappeared—it had only grown more unbearable, consuming me from the inside out.I wanted her. I needed her.No—I craved her.It was like electricity pulsing through my veins, a continuous current that burned hotter with every second that passed. My body was on fire, and Kei was the only thing that could quench it. Every look, every touch from her sent me spiraling deeper into the madness she’d created within me.And I didn’t care anymore. I didn’t care that we were in the office, that anyone could walk in at any moment. The risk only made it worse, made the desire thrum in my chest, a dangerous edge that pushed me closer to the brink.Kei’s eyes met mine, wide and dark with a mixture of fear and excitement. She knew it too. She could feel it—this storm we were both caught in, this wildfi
GioThe tension in the room was thick enough to choke on. Zion stood across from me, his posture relaxed, but his eyes were sharp—calculating. He had always been like that, always playing the long game, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. And now, he was watching me closely, his gaze unrelenting.He wasn’t just here to talk. He was here to push me, to force me into a corner I didn’t want to be in.“What the hell do you want, Zion?” I growled, my hands clenching into fists at my sides. I wasn’t in the mood for his games—not today.Zion smirked, his eyes gleaming with amusement. “Come on, Gio. You know exactly why I’m here.”I could feel the frustration bubbling up inside me, but I forced it down, trying to keep my cool. “If this is about Kei—”“Of course, it’s about Kei,” Zion interrupted, his voice calm but laced with something darker. “It’s always about her, isn’t it?”The words hit me like a punch, and I could feel my jaw tighten. He wasn’t wrong. Kei had become the center of e
KeiLeaving Paris felt bittersweet. The city had become a place of new memories, of quiet moments and promises whispered under the night sky. Gio and I had found something real here—something neither of us had anticipated. But as the plane cut through the clouds, I couldn’t shake the worry that back home, our delicate balance might shift, that the demands of his world would pull us back into a rhythm that was all too familiar and distant.When we landed, Gio was immediately pulled into work calls, his focused expression a reminder of the responsibilities waiting for him. His world was demanding, relentless, and for all that we had shared, a part of me worried that it might take over again.We exchanged a soft smile as we gathered our things. “I’ll see you tonight?” he asked, his gaze softer than the words.I nodded, squeezing his hand. “I’ll meet you at your place.”With
KeiThe next morning felt lighter, as if the air itself had softened with the promise that last night had left between us. Gio had shown a side of himself that I’d always believed was there but hadn’t quite seen until now. As we entered the sleek, bustling conference hall where today’s business was set to unfold, the warmth from the night before lingered, even as Gio slipped back into his composed, professional demeanor.The presentation was a success. Gio’s control over the room was magnetic; he had this natural authority, a confidence that turned every word he spoke into something important. I watched him, captivated by how easily he shifted from the affectionate man he’d been last night to the focused leader standing in front of a crowd. Occasionally, his eyes would meet mine, and in those brief moments, I saw a flicker of softness beneath his composed exterior—a private reminder of the man who had h
KeiThe day moved with a quiet sort of magic, the sun hanging low in the Paris sky, casting golden hues over the city as evening approached. I was lost in a soft, peaceful daze from our morning together, feeling a calm warmth settle over me—a feeling I hadn’t let myself feel in a long time. Gio had given me pieces of himself that felt precious, pieces I’d been waiting for him to share.I was just getting ready when I heard a soft knock on the door. I opened it to find Gio standing there, holding a bouquet of vibrant roses that instantly filled the room with their sweet, heady scent. His expression was warm, yet nervous, a small smile playing on his lips as he offered them to me.“For you,” he said softly, his gaze intense and unwavering.I took the flowers, feeling the delicate petals between my fingers, their fragrance washing over me. “Gio, they’re beautiful,” I w
KeiAs dawn broke, the warm Paris sunlight poured through the windows, casting a soft glow across the room. I stirred, blinking awake to find Gio’s arm wrapped around me, his steady breaths fanning against my neck, keeping me grounded in this perfect, fragile moment. For once, there was no rush to move, no urgency to face the world. Just the comfort of being here, wrapped in his warmth, where all my worries melted away.I shifted slightly to look at him, watching as the sunlight brushed over his face, highlighting the edges of his jaw, the curve of his lips. He looked peaceful, almost boyish in his sleep, a side of him that he rarely showed in the light of day.Gently, I traced my fingers along his arm, savoring the feel of his skin against mine. I was surprised at how easily I had slipped into this feeling of closeness with him, how naturally my heart settled in his presence. But as much as I wanted to remain in this moment forever, a lin
KeiThe faint light of morning crept through the curtains, casting a soft glow over the room. I stirred, feeling the warmth of the blankets wrapped around me, my body still heavy with the exhaustion of last night. For a moment, I lay there, half-asleep, memories from the night before flickering through my mind like scenes from a dream—Gio’s touch, his words, the quiet confessions shared in the dark.But when I rolled over, reaching for him, my hand met only cool sheets. I opened my eyes, blinking against the morning light, and saw the space beside me empty. The familiar pang of disappointment crept in, but as I sat up, I caught a faint, enticing scent wafting from the other side of the suite.Curious, I slipped out of bed, grabbing the robe that lay across the armchair and wrapping it around me as I padded out toward the kitchen. When I stepped into the small dining area, a soft smile spread across my face.On the countertop s
KeiThe room was steeped in the faint glow of Paris at night, soft lights filtering in through the windows and casting shadows across the walls. Kei lay beside me, her skin still flushed, her breathing soft and slow, yet her eyes remained wide open, watching me. I couldn’t look away. There was something about her tonight, something that went beyond the passion we had shared.She was everything I had tried to resist, the reason for every battle I’d fought within myself. But tonight, I wanted her without reserve, and now that she was lying here with me, the silence between us felt as raw as our shared breath. I reached out, my hand grazing her shoulder, fingers trailing along her arm as if to convince myself she was real."Tell me," she whispered, her voice barely breaking the silence.“Tell you what?” I asked, my voice a low murmur.“Why me?” Her eyes searched mine, open and vulnerable. “You
KeiThe city lights cast a warm glow on the streets as we walked back to the hotel, the night alive with the soft hum of Parisian life. The air felt thick with unspoken words, and each step beside Gio seemed to amplify the tension between us. The dinner had gone well, but now, away from the clients and the expectations, I was acutely aware of the man beside me—the quiet intensity that clung to him, the way his gaze seemed to linger when he thought I wasn’t looking.When we entered the hotel lobby, the familiar opulence felt surreal, heightening my senses. The chandeliers gleamed above, casting a soft, golden glow that illuminated the intricate designs on the marble floors. The atmosphere was charged, yet strangely quiet, as if the building itself was holding its breath.“Thank you for your work tonight,” Gio said, his voice low, almost intimate in the quiet space.“Of course,” I replied, trying to keep my tone professional despite the fluttering in my chest. His gaze held mine for a b
KeiThe next few days passed in a blur of work and silence, the unspoken tension between Gio and me lingering like a storm that hadn’t yet broken. After our last exchange, he seemed to withdraw even further, keeping his distance both physically and emotionally. I buried myself in my work, focusing on the mountain of tasks that filled my days, trying to ignore the ache that settled in my chest whenever I saw him passing by, barely acknowledging my presence.It was almost a relief to lose myself in the details of each assignment, answering emails, attending meetings, preparing reports, and overseeing logistics. I knew every spreadsheet, every document like the back of my hand, but the sense of purpose I usually found in my work was tinged with a lingering unease. No matter how focused I tried to stay, Gio’s presence loomed over everything, a constant reminder of the unresolved tension between us.But just as I was starting to settle into this strained routine, everything changed.Late i
KeiThe silence of my apartment felt heavier than usual, pressing down on me with an intensity that left me restless and on edge. Gio’s actions had always been a riddle, but lately, they had become even harder to decipher. The push and pull, the hot and cold—it all left me questioning everything I thought I knew about him, about us.I found myself wandering aimlessly from room to room, replaying our most recent encounters over and over in my head. Every touch, every heated look, every whisper that felt like it had been carved just for me—it all blurred into a confusing mess of emotions that left me feeling raw and exposed.One moment, he was there, all fire and possession, pulling me close as though he couldn’t stand to let me go. And then, just as suddenly, he’d shut down, distancing himself in a way that made me feel as if I’d been imagining everything. The push and pull was dizzying, leaving me feeling like I was caught in a storm with no end in sight.Unable to take the silence an