Chapter 15: The First Real Kiss

Chapter 15: The First Real Kiss

The tension from the gala still lingered in the air like an unspoken challenge. Elena had spent the night replaying every interaction, every glance exchanged between her and Jason. The way his touch had lingered just a fraction too long. The way her pulse had betrayed her when his breath had skimmed her skin.

Now, back in their penthouse, she wasn't sure if she was more unsettled by him or by herself.

Jason stood near the window, dressed in another sharp suit, his focus on his phone as he conducted business as usual. Meanwhile, Elena was still trying to shake off the weight of last night's encounter.

"We have a meeting with the investors in an hour," Jason said without looking up.

Elena arched a brow, pushing aside her thoughts. "Good morning to you too."

Jason finally glanced at her, a smirk playing at his lips. "You seemed lost in thought. Planning another act of rebellion?"

She scoffed. "You wish."

They left for the meeting, the car ride filled with comfortable silence, the kind that came from knowing when to pick their battles. But the real battle hadn't started yet.

A Business Deal Gone Wrong

The conference room was sleek, modern, and suffocatingly tense. Jason led the discussion effortlessly, his words precise, his presence commanding. Elena observed quietly, knowing when to interject and when to let him handle the power plays.

But then, an unexpected shift. One of the investors hesitated, his trust wavering.

Elena saw it before Jason did.

Without thinking, she spoke up, offering a strategic insight meant to secure the deal.

Only, it did the opposite.

The investor frowned, shifting in his seat. "I'll need to reconsider before finalizing anything."

Jason's jaw clenched, his gaze snapping to her with barely restrained frustration.

By the time they returned to the penthouse, the storm was already brewing.

The Fiercest Argument Yet

"You cost me that deal," Jason bit out, his voice controlled but laced with unmistakable anger.

Elena turned to face him, chin lifting in defiance. "I was trying to help. If anything, I saved you from committing to something that would've backfired later."

Jason stepped closer, his presence overwhelming. "That wasn't your decision to make."

"Oh, forgive me for thinking I was more than just a prop in your empire-building," she shot back, eyes flashing.

His gaze darkened, his breathing sharp. "You don't understand how these things work."

"No, Jason. You don't understand that I'm not just here to stand beside you and smile. I will not be another accessory to your perfect little world."

A tense silence followed, the heat between them shifting from anger to something else entirely.

Jason exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair as if trying to steady himself. The air between them pulsed with something heavier than frustration. Then—he moved.

The First Real Kiss

Jason's gaze flicked to her lips for just a second, and that was all it took.

He kissed her.

It wasn't soft or tentative. It was raw, unfiltered, filled with frustration and something deeper, something neither of them was ready to name.

Jason's hands slid to her waist, pulling her against him, as if holding her was the only way to make sense of the chaos between them. Elena's fingers gripped his shirt, her own control slipping as she kissed him back.

Time blurred. Logic disappeared. It was just heat, just them, just this impossible thing neither of them wanted to admit was real.

Then, suddenly—

Elena froze.

A sharp inhale broke the moment as reality came crashing down. She pulled away, her breathing unsteady, her heart hammering against her ribs. Jason's forehead rested against hers, his grip still firm on her waist.

Her fingers curled into fists against his chest. "That—"

"Was real," Jason finished for her, his voice rough.

Elena swallowed hard, trying to steady her breath. It was a mistake. It had to be. But the way her pulse betrayed her told another story entirely.

She wrenched herself away, shaking her head. "It was a mistake."

Jason's smirk returned, but there was something softer beneath it. "Then why do you look like you want to do it again?"

Elena took a shaky step back, rubbing her arms as if trying to rid herself of the lingering warmth of his touch. "This changes nothing, Jason."

He studied her for a long moment before nodding, but the way his jaw tightened told her he wasn't convinced.

She turned on her heel, retreating toward her room before she did something reckless, like prove him right.

But as she closed the door behind her, her fingers lifted to her lips, her breath still uneven.

They had just crossed a line neither of them could take back. And the worst part?

She wasn't sure she wanted to.