The thin line between hate and desire

Leila could still feel Victoria Moreau’s gaze on her, even long after the woman had walked away.

It wasn’t insecurity—Leila didn’t have time for that. It was something else.

Something sharper.

Something she didn’t want to acknowledge.

She hadn’t missed the way Victoria and Adrian had looked at each other. The history. The lingering weight of something unfinished.

And that bothered her.

Which was ridiculous.

Because she did not care about Adrian Kane.

Leila turned her attention back to the party, but it was impossible to ignore the heat of Adrian’s presence beside her. He had been unusually quiet since Victoria left, and for once, she couldn’t decipher his expression.

She took a sip of her champagne, trying to shake the unwanted irritation twisting in her chest.

Then Adrian leaned in.

“Are you jealous?”

His voice was rich with amusement, a low murmur against the shell of her ear.

Leila turned, giving him a dry look. “Not even remotely.”

He smirked. “Really? Because you looked like you were about to claw Victoria’s eyes out.”

She sighed, rubbing her temples. “Don’t flatter yourself.”

Adrian stepped closer, lowering his voice so only she could hear. “Then what was that little display back there?”

Leila arched a brow. “You mean the part where I made her think we’re actually in love? The thing you asked me to do?”

He chuckled. “Ah. So you were just acting.”

Leila’s stomach twisted.

Why did it feel like he wanted her to say otherwise?

She swallowed hard. “I did what needed to be done.”

Adrian studied her for a moment, his gray eyes unreadable.

Then he stepped even closer.

Too close.

“Good,” he murmured.

Leila’s breath hitched.

His scent wrapped around her—expensive cologne, crisp fabric, something undeniably him.

The air between them shifted.

For a brief, insane second, she thought he might kiss her.

And the worst part?

A tiny, traitorous part of her wanted him to.

She snapped out of it, stepping back quickly. “This conversation is over.”

Adrian’s smirk widened, like he knew exactly what she was thinking.

Leila turned and walked away before she could make an even bigger mistake.

Unspoken Tensions

The rest of the gala went by in a blur.

Leila played her role perfectly, smiling for photos, exchanging polite words with the other guests.

But beneath the surface, she was unraveling.

Adrian Kane was supposed to be nothing more than a means to an end.

Yet every moment with him felt like a battle she was losing.

By the time they left, she was exhausted.

She barely said a word during the car ride back to the penthouse, staring out the window as the city lights blurred past.

Adrian didn’t push.

But she could feel him watching her.

And that was worse.

---

The First Night Under the Same Roof

When they arrived at the penthouse, Leila kicked off her heels with a sigh of relief.

She was halfway to the bedroom when Adrian spoke.

“You did well tonight.”

Leila turned, surprised. “Was that a compliment?”

Adrian smirked. “Don’t get used to it.”

She rolled her eyes, but her lips twitched.

Adrian loosened his tie, his expression shifting. “I meant what I said earlier. You’ll have to keep this up. The press will be watching closely.”

Leila folded her arms. “I know how this works, Adrian.”

He nodded, his gaze lingering on her for a moment before he stepped back. “Get some sleep.”

Leila hesitated.

For once, there was no smugness in his tone. No sharp edges.

Just exhaustion.

And maybe something else.

Something she didn’t want to name.

She swallowed. “Goodnight.”

Then she turned and disappeared into the bedroom before she did something reckless—like wonder what it would be like to fall asleep next to Adrian Kane.

---

The Line Gets Blurred

Days passed in a blur of carefully orchestrated appearances.

Leila and Adrian played their roles to perfection, smiling for the cameras, attending meetings, pretending to be madly in love.

But behind closed doors, the tension between them only grew.

It was in the small moments.

The way he would brush past her in the kitchen, his touch lingering for just a second too long.

The way she would catch him watching her when he thought she wasn’t looking.

The way their arguments always danced too close to something else.

Something dangerous.

Something neither of them was ready to admit.

Then came the night that changed everything.

---

A Storm, A Dare, A Kiss

It started with a storm.

The rain pounded against the floor-to-ceiling windows of the penthouse, the sky lit up by flashes of lightning.

Leila had always loved storms.

But tonight, she felt restless.

She wandered into the living room, finding Adrian already there, pouring himself a drink.

He glanced at her. “Can’t sleep?”

She shook her head.

He poured a second glass and handed it to her without a word.

Leila hesitated, then took it.

They sat in silence, the air between them thick with unspoken words.

Then Adrian smirked. “Want to play a game?”

Leila raised a brow. “What kind of game?”

He leaned forward, his eyes glinting. “A dare.”

Leila scoffed. “What are we, teenagers?”

Adrian shrugged. “Are you scared?”

Leila’s jaw tightened. “Of you? Never.”

Adrian smirked. “Then prove it.”

Leila narrowed her eyes. “Fine. What’s the dare?”

He took a slow sip of his drink, watching her over the rim of the glass.

Then he set it down and leaned in, his voice low.

“Kiss me.”

Leila’s heart slammed against her ribs.

She laughed, but it was shaky. “You’re joking.”

Adrian just watched her, waiting.

Daring her.

The storm raged outside, but inside, everything was still.

Leila swallowed.

This was a game.

Nothing more.

So why did it feel like crossing this line would change everything?

She set down her glass, met his gaze, and leaned in.

Leila’s pulse thundered in her ears as she inched forward, her breath shallow. Adrian didn’t move, didn’t smirk, didn’t taunt her like he usually would.

He just watched her.

Waiting.

Daring.

The warmth of the whiskey burned in her throat, but it was nothing compared to the fire licking at her skin as she got close enough to feel the heat radiating from him.

This was a mistake.

But Leila had never backed down from a challenge.

And Adrian Kane wasn’t about to be the first one to make her flinch.

She tilted her chin up, her lips hovering a breath away from his. His gray eyes darkened, flickering down to her mouth.

“Are you going to do it?” he murmured, voice like silk and sin.

Leila clenched her jaw. He was goading her.

Fine.

She closed the distance.

The second their lips touched, it was like a spark igniting dry kindling.

Adrian inhaled sharply, but he didn’t pull away. If anything, his grip on the glass in his hand tightened, his knuckles going white.

Leila had expected the kiss to be quick, a fleeting press of lips, just enough to win the dare.

But she hadn’t expected the way his lips lingered.

Or the way her own traitorous body reacted.

Adrian tasted like whiskey and something richer, something dangerous. The kind of danger she should’ve turned away from.

But she didn’t.

She felt his breath hitch as she deepened the kiss, pressing forward just enough to test him. His lips parted slightly, but before she could even think about taking it further, he pulled away.

The space between them felt cold.

Leila’s head spun as she sat back, her pulse hammering.

Adrian said nothing at first, staring at her like he was trying to solve a puzzle.

Then, he smirked.

“Not bad,” he said smoothly, as if his heartbeat wasn’t pounding in his throat.

Leila rolled her eyes and grabbed her glass again. “Don’t flatter yourself. It was just a game.”

His smirk widened. “Right. A game.”

He leaned back against the couch, tilting his head slightly as he studied her. “But tell me, Leila…”

She swallowed, gripping her glass harder than necessary.

“Why do you look like you want to do it again?”

Leila’s cheeks burned, but she refused to give him the satisfaction of a reaction. Instead, she downed the rest of her whiskey and stood up.

“Go to hell, Kane.”

His deep chuckle followed her as she stalked toward the bedroom.

But as she shut the door behind her, pressing her back against the wood, she exhaled shakily.

The problem wasn’t that she had kissed Adrian Kane.

The problem was that she wanted to do it again.

And that terrified her more than anything.

The Aftermath

The next morning, Leila woke up feeling restless.

She had barely slept.

Every time she closed her eyes, all she could see was him.

The press of his lips against hers. The way his hand had twitched, as if he had wanted to reach for her but stopped himself.

She groaned, burying her face in her pillow.

This was bad.

Adrian Kane was her enemy.

A means to an end.

She had spent years despising him, and now, a single moment of weakness was threatening to unravel everything.

With a determined breath, she forced herself out of bed and into the shower. The scalding water did little to wash away the memory of last night, but she squared her shoulders.

It didn’t mean anything.

She wouldn’t let it.

By the time she stepped out of her room, she was back to her usual, collected self.

Or at least, she thought she was.

Until she saw him.

Adrian was already in the kitchen, dressed in a crisp white dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up, exposing his forearms. He was pouring coffee, looking effortlessly put together.

The sight of him made her stomach tighten.

He glanced up as she entered, his gray eyes unreadable.

“Morning,” he said, taking a slow sip of his coffee.

Leila forced herself to act normal. “Morning.”

She grabbed a mug and poured her own coffee, determined to ignore him.

But of course, Adrian Kane didn’t do being ignored.

“Sleep well?” His voice held a hint of amusement.

Leila stiffened. She knew exactly what he was implying.

She turned, meeting his gaze head-on. “Like a baby.”

Adrian smirked. “Is that so?”

She narrowed her eyes. “Yes.”

He leaned slightly against the counter, watching her over the rim of his coffee mug. “Strange. I would’ve thought last night might’ve kept you up.”

Leila clenched her jaw. “Not at all.”

“Hmm.”

That infuriating smirk stayed in place, like he could see right through her.

And maybe he could.

But she would not give him the satisfaction.

She lifted her chin. “It was just a kiss, Kane. Get over it.”

His smirk deepened. “Funny. I don’t remember asking for a kiss. You were the one who leaned in.”

Leila’s grip on her mug tightened. “Because it was a dare.”

“Right. A dare.”

She hated how he kept repeating her words like that. Like he didn’t believe them.

Like he knew she was lying to herself.

Leila inhaled deeply and turned back to her coffee.

This was nothing.

It had to be nothing.

She wouldn’t let Adrian Kane get under her skin.

Even if, deep down, she knew he already had.