LOGINAdrian stepped out of the car with a smile as he walked toward me.“I guess someone couldn’t wait inside,” he teased.I rolled my eyes. “Explain what’s going on.”He didn’t answer. His gaze moved slowly over me, taking everything in, and when he spoke, his voice dropped.“You look beautiful.”Heat crept up my neck, but I held his gaze. “Thank you. But that’s not what I asked.”“If I remember correctly,” I continued, “we picked all of this for your date. So why is it on me?”His lips curved slightly. “Would you rather go back in and take it off so I can give it to her?”I smacked his arm lightly. “Adrian, be serious.”He looked at me for a moment, then said calmly, “You have the dress. The makeup. Everything. I’m sure you can figure out what that means.”I searched his face, trying to see if he was serious.“You’re my date, Sophia.”My mouth parted, but before I could say anything, he reached for my hand and linked our fingers together, guiding me toward the car.“We’re going to be lat
I didn’t wait for closing before leaving. Everyone had been asking what was wrong. Apparently, my mood had been off and I was unusually quiet. I got tired of the looks, the questions, the constant “are you okay?” So I left.The moment I got home, I took a shower and collapsed on the couch. Sad romantic movies played one after the other, giving me a reason to cry.Even when Benita got back, she paused, clearly confused to find me on the couch, crying.“Are you okay?”“I’m fine,” I replied quickly. “It’s just the movie. It’s really sad… her husband died.”She studied me for a second, then gave a small nod. “Okay.”She sat beside me for a while, watching me while I cried through the movie. Then she shook her head, smiling slightly, before leaving me alone like she had figured it out.I must have fallen asleep, because the next thing I knew, Benita was waking me up.“Get up. You’ll be late for work.”“I’m not going,” I muttered. “If Adrian asks, just tell him I’m fine. I just need the day
Adrian asked if I was free so we could start going.“Right now?”“Yes. The date is tomorrow.”I nodded. “Okay. Just give me five minutes. My brother’s been calling… I need to return it.”“Alright.”I stepped out, grabbed my phone, and headed straight to my car. The moment I got in, I dialed Aunt Sophia’s number and pressed the phone to my ear.It rang.And rang.I pulled it away, staring at the screen.“Pick up… pick up,” I muttered under my breath.Just as I was about to hang up, the call connected.“It’s a waste of effort, Aunt Sophia,” I blurted out. “He likes someone else.”“Calm down. Explain.”I took a breath. “Adrian just asked me to help him pick things for his date.”She went quiet for a moment.“Did Danny show up?”“Yes. And Adrian saw us.”“And instead of reacting, he asked you to do that?”“Yes!”She hummed softly, like she was thinking it through, then started laughing.I rubbed my forehead. “Did you hear what I just said? He asked me to help him—”“I heard you,” she cut
As my break time approached, doubt started creeping in. A part of me was scared this could go wrong. But I needed this.I needed us to define whatever this thing between us was. Because I didn’t just want Adrian, I wanted him to be mine. I wanted to be able to say he was my boyfriend.When Danny texted that he was close, I walked straight into Adrian’s office.His eyes lit up the moment he saw me.“Let me guess,” he said, leaning back. “They sent you to convince me to agree to something again?”I laughed. “Not this time.”“Oh?” he said, watching me.“I actually came to ask you something.”“Go on.”I hesitated just enough to make it look real. “A friend of mine is here to see me. I wanted to know if it’s okay if I spend my break with him… at one of the tables.”Adrian went quiet for a second.Then he nodded. “That’s fine.”I smiled and walked over to him, hugging him lightly, just for effect. “Thank you.”When Danny arrived, we took a table at the far end.After the usual how have you
I asked Adrian to spend the night, and he agreed immediately. Somewhere between pillow talk and quiet cuddling, we fell asleep.His hand between my thighs woke me.I was already moaning before I even opened my eyes. When I did, he was above me, smiling.“Good morning,” he said, his voice thick with sleep.Before I could respond, he moved slowly, and then he was inside me.He kept a steady pace, his eyes locked on mine the entire time, watching every reaction, every breath. It didn’t take long before we both came.We stayed like that, staring at each other, catching our breath.“That’s a great way to start the day,” I finally said, my voice soft.Adrian chuckled, brushing his fingers lightly against my cheek. “You look beautiful… especially like this.”I felt my face warm instantly.“I really like it when you blush.”I pushed him lightly, rolling out of bed. “Shut up.”His laughter followed me all the way into the bathroom, and somehow, we ended up in the shower.Later, Adrian offered
Kai asked to speak with me privately. Adrian looked like he was about to say something, but I rubbed his arm lightly and shook my head. Don’t.I followed Kai, and we stepped aside.He exhaled before speaking. “I would’ve appreciated it if you told me you were dating your boss instead of lying to me about bringing him something.”“I didn’t exactly lie,” I explained. “Adrian did ask me to bring something for him… and I’m not exactly dating him.”Kai gave me a look. “Sophia, I just saw you kissing him.”I sighed. “Look, I’m sorry I left the way I did. But there’s no way to explain this without it sounding… messy. Me and Adrian… you won’t really understand it.”He stayed quiet for a moment, then nodded slowly.“I was actually glad to see you again. I wanted to take things further this time. Ease back into your life before saying anything. But…” he let out a small breath, “I guess I’m already late.”Something in my chest tightened, but I shook my head. “I’m sorry, Kai. I don’t feel that wa
After breakfast, and round two on the kitchen counter–I could barely catch my breath.My muscles ache in the best way. My skin still buzzed from Liam’s touch. I was ready to curl back into his bed, let the morning melt into the afternoon, and pretend the outside world didn’t exist.But Liam had oth
The morning sunlight poured in through the massive windows of the villa, wrapping the breakfast table in a soft, lazy glow. Plates clinked, forks scraped against omelets, and a gentle breeze rustled the linen curtains. I was stirring my tea absentmindedly when Liam walked in.He looked like sin dre
I drove back to Liam’s house that night, nerves coiling in my stomach tighter with each passing streetlight. The high from lunch with Mason had faded. Now, it was just dread. The kind that simmers and sits heavy on your chest.Telling Liam about the tour felt like walking into a storm with a matchs
The breeze slipping through my window carried that ocean-salt scent I was slowly getting addicted to. The morning felt quieter than usual, almost like even the island knew we needed a lazy start. I stretched on the bed, not ready to face the world yet, but too awake to drift back to sleep.A soft k







