21

He laughed, settling back but not breaking the connection.

Kendra’s mind raced with inner thoughts. “Who is this guy? I know nothing about him. Not his last name, not his story, not why he’s looking at me like I’m the only woman in the world right now. Richard destroyed me, and here I am, diving headfirst into whatever this is. Am I stupid? Or just tired of feeling nothing?”

She took another sip, letting the silence stretch comfortably before speaking.

“What’s your definition of love, Knox?”

He paused, swirling the liquid in his glass, staring out at the pool. The lights danced across his features.

“Love…” he smirked. “It’s not fairy tale shit. It’s choosing someone even when it’s messy. It’s fighting for them when the world tries to pull you apart. Trusting them with your scars, and them trusting you with theirs.”

Kendra licked her lips, nodding at him.

“But it's not perfect, and at the same time it's worth the burn.”

Kendra’s throat tightened. His words hit deeper than she expected.

“I was never lucky when it comes to love,” she admitted, her voice cracking slightly. Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes, but she blinked them back.

“I married a man who wanted my money more than me, a man who chose my best friend.”

Knox reached over, his fingers brushing hers lightly.

“Same here, in a way. Love’s kicked my ass too. It made me swear off it for a long time.”

“Love is the closest thing to madness or let me say it’s madness itself.” She said, her voice trembled.

Kendra sniffed, she took a sip from her drink.

“Why do people we love break our hearts?” She asked, her eyes glassy.

He said nothing, just staring at her, he could see the pain on her face.

“I've never imagined loving someone as much as I loved that bastard. I gave him my all, except my body which he refused…” Tears rolled down her cheeks.

“How come, I never saw it coming? The betrayal? He was never even that sweet but then I really loved him!”

He held her hand tightly, squeezing it softly. She removed her hand from his grip, wiped her tears and sniffed.

“What did you really come to that hotel for that night? Don’t say me.” She asked.

He chuckled. “I came to drink. To clear my head. Then I saw you. Storm in human form and couldn’t look away.”

“Storm chaser,” she teased and he smiled, wiping her tears with his thumb. No matter how hard she's trying to be strong, her tears won't stop falling.

They talked deeper then. Hours seemed to blur as words flowed. She told him fragments of the pain—how Richard’s message tonight reopened every wound, how the betrayal poisoned even happy memories.

He listened without interrupting. Their conversation wove between vulnerability and flirtation, laughter breaking through the heavier moments. Just two broken people finding cracks of light in each other.

“I hate myself for still loving him sometimes,” Kendra confessed during a lull, staring into her drink. “For letting it define me this long. But tonight… I don’t want to remember anything. I just wanna feel something else.”

Knox nodded, his hand finding hers properly this time, warmly.

“I’ll be at the Reens gala tomorrow night, will you be there?” he said.

Kendra nodded, a small smile playing on her lips.

“I’m not attending, it's not just the Reens gala, tomorrow is also about the best model of the year, I won't be getting the award for sure. With my marriage stuff that is circulating online.”

“Oh come on,” he said, eyes sparkling. “Who cares if all that happened? It's even meant to happen because if you didn’t fall out with those two, how would you know the real people in your life?”

He cupped her cheeks “Listen, Storm, just because of what happened, doesn't make you less. You're beautiful, spectacular and you deserve a lot.”

Kendra bashed her lashes. “And how do you know me?”

“I don't know you, but I know you deserve many good things in life.”

Kendra pulled down his hands and stood up, stretching.

“Enough heavy talk. Let’s play some music and make this night ours.”

Knox grinned, grabbing a remote. Smooth R&B filled the air from hidden speakers, bass pulsing through the night.

“You've really prepared everything, dude!” She screamed in excitement.

He turned up the volume, the beat wrapping around them like an invitation.

They moved to the pool’s edge, drinks in hand. The water called, and soon they were in it, splashing, and laughing.

Kendra felt alive, the alcohol and music loosening her limbs.

She danced closer, the water slick on her skin. Lap dancing him naturally in the shallows, her hips rolling against him teasingly as the song slowed.

Knox’s hands settled on her waist, guiding her but not forcing her .

They drank more, toasts to forgetting, to new storms. Laughter echoed as she spun in the water, him catching her.

The fun built, playful touches turning heated—his fingers tracing her spine, her nails grazing his chest.

The music swelled, a sultry track with lyrics that mirrored the tension. Their eyes locked again, Knox pulled her close in the water, their bodies pressing, wet skin sliding.

She didn’t push him away now. His hand cupped her jaw, his thumb brushing her lower lip. Then slowly closed the gap between them, kissing her.

The kiss started slowly, exploratory—a brush of lips that ignited everything.

Kendra melted into it, her arms wrapping around his neck. The kiss deepened, hungrily. They began smooching, their tongues dancing, breaths mingling with soft moans.

His hands roamed her back, pulling her flush against him. She tasted whiskey and desire on him, felt the hard planes of his body responding to hers.

He deepened the kiss the more that became breathless and she broke the kiss for air, their foreheads touching, water rippling around them.

“Fuck,” she whispered, smiling against his mouth.

“Beautiful storm,” he murmured back, diving in for another kiss, this one more urgent, their bodies moving together in the pool’s embrace.