FIRST KISS

Friday came faster than I expected. I had spent most of the week at the warehouse, and even with the commitment I had coming up later that night, I still spent most of the day at the warehouse.

I oversaw the first set of deliveries and made sure everything was packaged well and kept exactly where they needed to be. I was not importing the herbs themselves. No, I didn’t have the time to manage a green house for that. Instead, what I was doing was buying Moonshade herbs, drying them, and grinding them into a packaged product.

There was a similar product already on the market, but it was available in very small quantities only and most people usually went for the fresh plants. After all, why get something dried if there was something else that was fresher and more presentable?

By the time I left the warehouse, every crate had been checked, every label verified, and every movement accounted for.

I walked out of the warehouse with a tired expression on my face, but I couldn’t deny the fact that my mind was already shifting away from all the hassle of the warehouse towards him, Damien.

I didn’t like how much my mind wandered towards him on a daily basis, and how many hours I spent on call with him every day, hours that we both disguised as just follow-up calls, but rarely involved the business deal we had.

Still, hours later, I stood in front of the mirror and adjusted the sleeve of my dress with a smile on my face. I could not deny the quiet anticipation building up within me.

This time, I wasn’t going to a large restaurant, no, I was going to his home, his fortress.

And that changed everything. I looked over my dress one last time before walking out of my house and towards the car.

About thirty minutes later, the gates of Damien’s estate opened before I even reached them. I drove in slowly, my eyes taking in everything. The property stretched far beyond what I had expected.

It was broad, controlled and impossibly refined. This was the kind of place that whispered power to anyone who saw it. Soft lights lined the driveway, and they guided me forward until I reached the main building.

By the time I stepped out of the car, a wolf was already there, ready to take my keys.

“Good evening, Ms. Nyssa,” the attendant said with a polite nod.

I nodded, handed him the keys and turned towards the entrance.

The large, ornate doors opened before I could even reach them.

Damien stood at the top of the short steps, and he was dressed in something far less formal than last time, yet it was somehow more dangerous. He had rolled his sleeve up and while his posture was relaxed, his gaze was anything but.

“Nyssa,” he said, his voice as smooth as ever.

“Damien,” I replied as I stepped closer to him.

His eyes swept over me once before a soft smile tugged at the corner of his lips,

“You look absolutely incredible,”

“Thank you,” I answered,

“Don’t thank me for saying the truth,” he said with a chuckle as he stretched out his hand, “Please come in. Welcome to my home,”

I nodded, walked up to him and held his outstretched hand.

***

This time, dinner was different.

It wasn’t quieter, or louder, it was just different.

There were no waiters hovering nearby, nor was there the ever present distant hum of a restaurant crowd. It was just the two of us, seated across from each other in a space that simply felt too personal.

And he used that. I noticed it almost immediately with the way his chair was placed close to mine.

“You are more guarded tonight,” he said as he swirled the drink in his glass, “Why?”

I did not react right away, instead, I let the silence stretch a little before responding.

“I could say the same thing about you,”

His smile deepened, “Can you though?” he asked with raised brows,

“Yes,” I said, tilting my head slightly, “You are not hiding it as well as you believe you are.”

That earned a chuckle from him. “I am not trying to hide anything from you,” he admitted after a moment, “I’m simply observing,”

“Of course you are,” I whispered again,

His eyes flickered with approval and he nodded,

“Fair,”

When he spoke next, his tone had shifted, from something lighter to a much more serious tone,

“Tell me something, Nyssa.” he said as he leaned forward, “What does power mean to you?”

That question was very deliberate. I leaned back in my chair as I considered the answer.

“Freedom,” I finally answered,

His brows lifted slightly, “And that’s your ultimate goal?”

“Yes,” I nodded, “I want the ability to act without needing anyone’s permission and the ability to make decisions without fearing any consequences imposed by others.”

“And wealth?” he asked, his brows raised,

“Wealth is a tool,” I shrugged, “It is not my ultimate goal.”

A slow smile spread across his lips.

“I am not going to lie,” he replied, “That is an interesting perspective.”

I nodded, but before I could say anything else, we were served.

We spent the next few minutes focusing on our meals, mainly because it was just that good.

Dinner ended, and for minutes, neither of us made a move to leave.

Finally, Damien stood up and extended his hands towards me.

“Walk with me,” those words might have been soft, but I could tell it was not a request.

I looked at his hand for a brief moment, and then placed mine on his.

His grip was warm and controlled. He led me outside his home and the shift in the atmosphere was immediate.

The night air was cool and the estate stretched endlessly around us. Soft warm lights illuminated the pathways, but beyond that, everywhere was almost pitch black.

Almost because the moon was out, but it wasn’t a full moon.

We walked in silence at first. I only realized after walking for a while that I was still holding hands with him.

“Do you prefer being alone?” he stopped, turned towards me and broke the silence.

I thought about these words for a moment before nodding, “Yes, I do,” I replied, “I don’t need anyone.”

There was no hesitation or doubt in my voice, I was sure of my words.

Damien studied me for a second, then, stepped closer.

“Everyone needs someone, Nyssa,” he whispers,

“No,” I said quietly as I swallowed and tried to convince myself of the truth in my words, “People just convince themselves that they do.”

Something flickered in his eyes, something I couldn’t read.

“Who taught you that?” he asked,

I held his gaze and shrugged, “No one,” I answered, “I am speaking from experience.”

The air between us shifted again, but he didn’t speak this time.

His hand held mine tightly, and without realizing it, I began to lean towards him.

His gaze dropped to my lips and then back to my eyes.

“Still don’t trust me?” he asked,

“Should I?”

His lips curved faintly, “That depends,”

“On what?”

“On how much you want to find out.”

As he spoke, the distance between us slowly disappeared. I could feel it then, the pull, the tension and even the quiet gravity drawing us in.

He leaned in and, and I leaned towards him.

And without thinking about the consequences or why I was even doing what I was doing, I kissed him.