Chapter 7: The Kiss I Shouldn’t Want

Zander's POV

A childish, reckless dare had shattered five goddamn years of discipline and fighting every urge and temptation.

The realization sent my temper through the roof. My grip tightened around her arm before I noticed her wince.

"Do you have any idea what you've done?" My voice dropped to a warning tone that made her breath hitch.

"It was just a kiss."

"Just a kiss." I echoed her words. "And what about the hotel?"

Her face went scarlet, the color spreading down her neck. "I was drunk. I didn't know what I was saying."

"Didn't you?" I leaned in closer, close enough that my breath ghosted over her lips. "You seemed pretty sure of yourself."

"I was drunk." Her voice rose, then immediately dropped as she glanced around nervously. "And I wasn't thinking..."

"You didn't think, huh." I finished for her, my tone cutting. "That's the problem. You younglings don't think about the consequences of your actions... and what you've done to me."

"To you?" She let out a bitter laugh. "You're acting like I ruined your life."

"How dare you play games with a man like me."

"I'm not playing games."

"Aren't you?" I leaned in until my lips hovered just above hers. "Is this what you do, Kiara? Seduce older men for fun?"

Her face blazed with fury. "You're acting so almighty..." Her voice gained strength, fire burning in every word. "I might have kissed you, but you kissed me back. After that, you saved me from those men and brought me to that hotel. You could've left me in the club, but you didn't. I was the drunk one, and you were sober."

She was fuming now, her chest heaving against mine. "Seems like you need a clear look in the mirror."

My blood went cold.

"You begged me to take you to my home. I took you to my hotel instead, so don't you think of trying to vilify me for protecting you."

"Was that the only reason?" She challenged me with her gaze. "Or were you also hoping I'd sober up enough to give you what you wanted?"

Rage flared through my veins.

I grabbed her other wrist, pinning both above her head with one hand.

"Don't you dare." The growl came from somewhere deep in my chest.

"Why not?" She shot back without hesitation. "You're accusing me of being a seductress. Sounds fair to me."

My free hand moved to her waist, gripping tightly enough to feel her body beneath the fabric. "Don't you ever insinuate that I took advantage of you."

Each word came out hard. "Maybe I should give you a play-by-play of what happened last night, since you seem to have forgotten. You offered yourself to me on a silver platter. You ground those little hips against my cock, begging me all night to fuck you, and I turned you down. So you don't get to play the victim or to twist this into something it wasn't."

I spotted the moment the words landed and watched the fight drain slightly from her eyes.

"You're right." Her voice came out softer. "You didn't take advantage of me. I'm sorry for the insinuation."

She took a breath and seemed to gather herself. "How about we walk back in there and pretend none of this happened, like we've never met?"

My eyes searched hers, refusing to be deceived. "You expect me to believe you'll just forget about this? That you won't use this against me?"

"I have no reason to."

"If you think you can blackmail me in the future." I leaned in closer, my voice dropping to a threatening rumble. "I know little brats like you. Play the good girl for daddy, then behind his back, you're scheming. But let me make this crystal clear. If you ever try to use what happened between us against me, I will ensure you regret every second of that night. And I will make sure you understand what it means to play games with someone like me."

Her eyes flared with outrage. "I'm not a little brat and I don't pretend to be anything. Besides, I would never need anything from a man like you. So you can't threaten me."

"I just did."

"I'm not afraid of you."

"You should be."

"Why?" She challenged me again, fire returning to her voice. "Because you're rich? Powerful? Because you're my father's friend?"

"Exactly." I moved closer, eliminating what little space remained between us. "Because I can ruin you. For yourself and any other man. So it's in your best interest to stay the fuck away from me."

"You don't get to order me around."

My hand slammed against the wall above her head, the sound echoing in the alcove. "You don't get it, do you?"

"Get what?" Her voice dripped with defiance. "That you're a controlling psycho who can't handle that a woman doesn't fall at his feet?"

For a moment, neither of us moved.

The air between us was electric and charged with heat that had nothing to do with anger anymore.

"Zander..." she breathed my name.

Her lips parted, soft and full and wet and inviting.

I crushed my mouth against hers, unable to stop myself or think past the need burning through my veins.

My lips moved over hers with a hunger I hadn't allowed myself to feel.

She tasted sweet and forbidden, just like that night, and I was desperate for more.

And she kissed me back with the same ferocity that matched my own, stroke for stroke.

Her body pressed into mine, curves fitting against hard muscle, and her wrists strained against my hold as if she wanted to touch me but couldn't decide if she should.

I released her hands, and immediately they were in my hair, fingers tangling in the strands and pulling me closer.

She made a small sound in the back of her throat that went straight to my cock.

My hands found her waist, gripping hard, pulling her body flush against mine until there was no space left between us.

This was insanity unfolding in real time, destruction wrapped in soft skin and sweet lips.

Everything I'd fought against for five years was crashing down around me in a dark alcove where anyone could walk by and see us.

Then reality crashed down like ice water.

I shoved away from her, my breathing hard and ragged.

"This can never happen again." The words came out rough.

Her eyes searched mine, shock written across her face, her lips swollen and red from my kiss. "You kissed me."

I braced a hand against the wall above her head, my body still too close to hers, still able to feel her heat.

"Stay the fuck away from me." My voice came out low and threatening. "Is that clear?"

Fear flashed across her face as she nodded, visibly shaken.

"Yes."

I pushed off the wall and walked away, my hands trembling at my sides.

Because I knew the truth.

Staying away from her was going to be impossible.