Chapter Two

A jolt of electricity ran through Sienna's body, her deep blue eyes flashing open in shock.

As they broke apart, she stood stunned, her lips still tingling. Her eyes never left Christian's face as he turned to shoo the robber away.

"Hey, man, don't be a third wheel, my girlfriend and I were having a moment. Beat it, buddy."

The guy's expression did a total 180, morphing from menacing to moronic in the blink of an eye. He looked like a total doofus, grinning from ear to ear, “Man, she’s pretty, Gotta get me one of those.”

Then he gave Christian a lazy thumbs-up, but Christian just raised an eyebrow and smirked. The guy took the hint and beat a hasty retreat.

Sienna's gaze snapped back to Christian, and her heart skipped a beat as she found him already leaning in for another kiss.

She was sorely tempted to let him Yet, her rational side prevailed, she swiftly pulled back ending the moment..

Gah! He's going for kiss #3! She quickly dodged to the right, and his lips graze the air instead of hers.

Close call.

Sienna fumbled to tuck a stray lock of her dark brown hair behind her ear, trying to hide her flustered state.

Christian grinned, clearly entertained. "This is either going to be the adventure of a lifetime or a really creative way to get ourselves killed. Just one little kiss. What’s the harm in that?”

Sienna flushed, turning a bright beet red that clashed hilariously with her pale skin.

Christian let out a breath and pulled out his phone to call for backup. "The cops will be here in no time," he told Sienna, whose flushed cheeks were still a pretty pink.

Almost on cue, the air was filled with the wail of police sirens.

Christian and Sienna stood vigil, watching they hauled the three thugs out of the building, loading them into the squad car.

"No thanks necessary, I guess." Christian said a dry chuckle escaping his lips as he glanced at the textbooks she still held tight.

The kiss had left Sienna's lips buzzing, and she was totally caught up in the swoony afterglow, unable to meet Christian's gaze without turning bright red.

She mumbled a thanks, her eyes cast downward as she nervously bit her lip, her hand instinctively reaching up to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

"No need to be weirded out, I just...I don't do well with violence... brings back some bad memories,". Christian explained. He'd witnessed the brutal murder of his parents as a kid and that left him with a really bad trauma.

Sienna released a thoughtful breath. "You handled that pretty well, considering."

"Yeah, I know, I know - not exactly the most epic hero moment, right? I mean, I basically just...kissed you_"

Sienna's cheeks flushed with a deep blush, "You're still a hero in my book - a genius one, at that."

A slow flush spread across Christian's face, a surprising reaction given his relaxed posture, hands buried in his pockets. He hadn't blushed like this in years, not since he'd been a lovesick teenager, pining for his first crush.

With a soft sigh, Sienna lowered her arms, allowing the night air to wrap around her as the blood circulated freely once more.

***

FOUR YEARS LATER.

Sienna burst into wakefulness, arching her back in a languid stretch. A mighty yawn escaped her lips, signaling the start of her day.

Her long, dark hair tumbled down her bright pink pyjamas like a messy, beautiful waterfall. She groaned, shaking off the sleep, and flailed her arms out to the sides, ready to take on the morning.

Her stomach growled, a low, insistent rumble that refused to be ignored, "Mom!" She yelled, "breakfast, ASAP, please!"

Emily chuckled as she cooked, her voice warm but teasing. "Rise and shine, sleepyhead! Mom's not catering to your royal highness today. You want breakfast? You'd better get moving, because Mom's not serving room service today!"

Ugh, really?

Sienna grumbled under her breath, tossing off the covers and swinging her legs over the side of the bed.

No breakfast in bed for her, apparently.

She stomped downstairs, trying to shake off the sleepies

"Morning, Mom." She mumbled, collapsing into her chair with a sleepy smile. "How'd you sleep? Better than me, I hope, considering someone refused to bring me breakfast in bed.'"

"Up, up, up! Get moving, Sienna! Brush those teeth, wash that face, and let's get some life into you!" Emily exclaimed, playfully swatting Sienna with the towel, making her jump back with a yelp.

"Ow, Mom! That really hurt!" Sienna bit back a sharper retort, her lips compressing into a thin line. "Can't I just have breakfast first? I didn't eat dinner last night..."

"For Pete's sake! You can't just roll out of bed and expect the world to cater to you."

Sienna's lips, a deep pink, formed a sulky pout. "Mom, you always say I'm your princess. So, shouldn't I get breakfast in bed like a real princess?"

"Oh, yeah? Well, let me remind you, Princess, that you're a 21-year-old college grad who's still living with Mommy. And yesterday's graduation doesn't excuse you from being a functioning member of this household!"

A grin spread across Sienna's face as she thought back on the amazing graduation bash her mom had organized. From the insane food spread to the awesome gifts, every detail had been totally on point.

"Oh, and by the way, this little surprise came for you in the mail yesterday." Emily plopped a package down on the dining table, "I didn't want to give it to you until after the party, but now that the celebration's over, it's all yours!"

Sienna wasn't naive; she knew exactly what was in that package, and it was definitely not something she wanted her mom to see. So, she grabbed it, placed it under her butt, and sat down on it, trying to look innocent.

"Mommy, may I please have some breakfast?" She asked again.

"Sienna, go shower NOW!"

"I'm STARVING!'

"The food isn't going anywhere. Did you open finally open the package? Any exciting job offers?"

Sienna gulped, knowing this was coming. Her mom was definitely going to ask about the package. "No, no job offers," she replied, trying to sound casual. "Just some stuff I ordered online."

They weren't just any stuff - they were photos of Christian Bridges, his newest modeling shots that had surfaced online.

After downloading the pics, Sienna got them printed, excited to hang them on her wall, concealed behind a fabulous black curtain.

It was her own secret shrine, where she had a collection of Christians photos and other memorabilia from the Vesper fashion magazine like rare photos of Christian's most iconic moments, autographed by Christian himself, behind-the-scenes photos, exclusive interviews, fashion accessories, and more.

Sienna's head over heels for Christian post-rescue. He didn't need brute strength or superpowers or a cape to save the day - just a kiss that left her lips tingling like fireworks on a starry night.

She couldn't get enough of him, and her passion for fashion design was ignited. She spent hours sketching outfits. She wanted to create clothes that would make people feel as confident and fierce as Christian did on the runway.

Sienna's morning was off to a fabulous start - showered, dressed, and breakfasted, she'd spent a swoony moment plastering Christian's latest pics on her wall. Then, thinking her mom was calling, she headed downstairs.

Her feet barely touched the ground floor when the TV screen flickered to life, blaring the 10am news in urgent, pulsing tones.

"Tragedy has struck the fashion world. Christian Bridges, renowned model, heir to the Bridges fashion empire, and Vesper magazine's coveted cover star, has been involved in a horrific accident. Reports indicate that the accident was severe, and Christian is currently being treated in the ICU unit..."