The Stolen Kiss.
1918 Words
Chapter.
MAXWELL’S POV.
The last place I wanted to be tonight was in the middle of someone else’s relationship drama.
I had come to this club for business, because Leo had invited me, as he often did, trying to mingle deals with drink, as if flashing money in places like this would interest me. I wasn’t impressed, but business is business, and I showed up.
But what I didn’t expect was to get dragged into their personal mess.
I sat at the upper private lounge, surveying the crowd with mild disinterest while sipping slowly from the glass of whiskey that rested on the table beside my crossed legs.
Then a woman’s voice cut through the air, soft, tiny, yet sharp enough to catch my interest.
The edge of her tone carried a hurt she was struggling to conceal, a hurt that sliced through the bass and laughter.
I wasn’t often intrigued by drama, but for some unknown reason, her voice piqued my curiosity.
My fingers curled around the glass of whiskey. I picked it up, turned around, and descended the stairs.
When I got to the lower lounge, Leo sat in the midst of his peers with his usual arrogance, a woman clinging to his side.
I lifted my glass to my lips and took a gentle sip, my eyes locked on the lady who stood before him, demanding answers he wasn’t quite interested in giving.
“Really, Leo? Is this what you meant by an open marriage?” Her tone was heavy and tight with fury.
The words echoed in my ear, and I felt my body stiffen for a few seconds.
My gaze dragged over her from behind.
Chestnut-brown hair, copper-brown eyes, and skin so healthy it glowed amidst the scandal of a cheating partner.
So this was Clara? His wife?
I had heard her name before, tossed casually in conversations like some insignificant goods. I didn’t expect her to be this… My eyes instinctively swept over her frame. Even with the tank coat, I could tell she had quite a perfect figure.
“Don’t start, Clara.” Leo brushed her pain off like it was an inconvenience, but she didn’t back down. She just stood elegantly. Chin lifted, eyes burning with a fire that showed she wasn’t afraid to call him out.
My chest tightened on her behalf, her pain obvious but controlled.
No one should have to go through the hell of cheating. And she… she was far too beautiful to be caught up in Leo’s scandal.
Her defiance piqued my interest, and I found myself walking further, intrigued.
Most people wilted under Leo’s condescension, but she stood taller.
Her hands moved to her shoulders and she shrugged her coat off, revealing the sight of the body that lay beneath.
A gasp slipped across the hall, sharp and unbidden.
The air in my lungs froze, my eyes dragging down her body like I could unravel her without even using my hands.
The black silk dress, daring and transparent, clung to her body like a second skin, hugging her curves in all the right places.
She had the perfect silhouette—defined up top, a slim waist, and hips that curved just right.
My jaw clamped, a subtle way to suppress the dangerous thought slipping into my mind.
My fingers itched to do something… but I remained still, too stunned to move.
Leo’s smirk faltered for a second. Just for a second, but I noticed.
“You want freedom?” Her voice was calm, but lethal and almost dangerous. “Then so do I.”
Without a second of hesitation, she turned around and bumped into me.
My hands moved swiftly around her waist, holding her still before she could fall.
Clara’s body pressed into mine, her scent wrapping around my nostrils.
Damn it. I growled low, temples twitching. The softness of her skin pressed into my palm, and staring at her up close? Damn it—she was even more stunning.
Lost in the subtle admiration, her fingers gripped my collar and she dragged me closer to her body, claiming my lips with hers.
The world froze, and my muscles tensed beneath my skin, the softness of her mouth stirring something raw and primal within me.
For a moment, I almost laughed at the absurdity of being pulled into Leo’s drama, but I felt the fire behind her desperation. The trembling anger and pride that refused to break.
This wasn’t a kiss meant for me; it was a weapon meant to ruin Leo—but I chose to let it hit.
My lips brushed against hers, claiming her mouth in a soft, deliberate kiss, guiding my tongue deeper, but she broke the kiss and turned to Leo.
When she pulled back, the crowd buzzed with whispers. Leo’s jaw clenched, but he said nothing. And the silence spoke louder than words. But he did not stop her.
My skin burned with heat, the kiss stirring up a hunger I had long locked away, but I waited for her to speak, burning with a need I knew only she could quench.
I looked at Leo, but he said nothing. He dared not.
Seconds later, she slipped her hand into mine, wrapping her tiny fingers between mine and walking us away from the scene.
All through, I allowed her 5’6” feisty little self to lead us to the elevator, the smirk on my lips growing at every step we took closer.
When we got inside, the door closed, sealing us from the crowd’s hungry eyes.
“Goodness…” She exhaled shakily, letting go of my hand and taking a step backward.
“I am sorry…” she said quickly, not meeting my gaze. “I didn’t mean that. I was just…” Her lashes fluttered, and she blinked back nervously.
“I… I was just bluffing. I only wanted to prove a point.” She rushed her words, struggling to keep up with her defiance and fierceness from seconds ago.
My lips curled into a low smirk, but it didn’t take longer than a second to fade.
Bluffing?
I swept my eyes over her, studying carefully—the gentle tremble of her fingers against the railing, the rise and fall of her chest, the flush on her cheeks.
A muscle in my jaw tightened. She was definitely trying to dismiss me. Tie the scene up with a bow and walk away like nothing happened.
But I had noticed too much, and I wasn’t willing to let go.
My gaze danced over her frame—the curve of her hips, the swell of her breasts, and that waist my hands would fit perfectly around.
Heat coiled within me, making the elevator space a little too tight. I gripped my tie, loosening it slightly.
The fire in her eyes and the way she had kissed me like she meant it, even while pretending otherwise…
I took a step closer and she stiffened, still not looking up at me.
“Bluffing?” My voice was low and steady. “You mean, you kissed a man like that because you were bluffing?”
Her head jerked up, eyes flashing. “It was a mistake,” she shot back, the edge of her voice cracking while she made an attempt to walk away but I gripped her arms subtly and pulled her back.
Her eyes flared and a subtle gasp escaped her lips, but I kept her there, between myself and the elevator wall… tilting my head and allowing a slow smile. “No.” I whispered in protest. “Leo was the mistake. And this…” I cupped her face in my hand, noticing every twitch her body made against my palm.
But she flinched, shoving my hand off as if the touch burned her. “I can’t do this,” she muttered, her steps sharp as she tried to walk past me.
I caught her wrist again before she could take another step, yanking her gently but firmly back into my space.
Her back hit the elevator wall with a soft thud, her chest rising and falling with quick, shallow breaths.
My thumb brushed along her jawline, the delicate skin trembling under my touch as I pinned her there, leaving her nowhere to escape. I leaned closer, my breath fanning over her ear.
“You can lie to yourself all you want,” I murmured low, my voice steady and deliberate. “But your body already made the choice.”
Her soft gasp broke the air between us, sharp and unbidden.
She looked away from me, trying to conceal the pleasure beneath her eyes.
I brushed my thumb against her jaw, tilting her face towards mine.
A sharp, unbidden gasp left her lips, the sound shooting into me.
That was it.
My lips brushed against her cheek, her body tensing under the weight of our closeness. “This… is interesting.” I whispered into her ear, grazing the shell with my lower lip.
Her breath came out in shallow bursts, but she didn’t pull away. She stood still, like her body was melting for me without her consent—and that was enough.
My eyes hovered over hers, her lashes wet and fairy-like.
Her lips parted softly, the conflict in her eyes evident from every glare.
But I leaned in and claimed her mouth again, giving in to the nerves firing through my body.
Her whole frame tensed against me, her eyes widening slightly like it was our first shared kiss.
My right hand moved to the small of her back, the other cupping the base of her neck and pulling her deeper into the kiss.
I tilted my head slightly, sucking her lips into mine and claiming her in a slow, purposeful kiss, sinking my tongue lower and deeper.
My muscles stilled, reacting to how different it felt kissing her.
But yes—this wasn’t for the crowd, this wasn’t for Leo. This was for me. For her. To quench the fire I had seen in her defiance and to claim the spark that had drawn me the moment she stood against him.
Her fists pressed against my chest, her resistance faltering with every nibble I made on her lower lip.
Her body melted into mine, the fight draining out of her and turning into something else. Something I was certain she wasn’t ready to admit.
The elevator chimed, breaking the tension, but I didn’t step back.
My body was already crawling with more than enough heat, hardness straining beneath my briefs.
My hand moved to the panel, pressing the button for the top floor. My floor.
“W-where are you taking me?” She whispered breathlessly as I pulled out of the kiss.
My hand remained at the base of her neck, then I leaned closer, brushing my mouth against her ear. “To my suite, or do you want to go back to him?” My brows arched, and I replied in a controlled voice.
Her lips parted, ready to say something, but the words died in her throat. The wild throb of her anger in the silence.
The elevator door slid open, and I guided her out, my hand firm on her back.
Her legs moved stiffly, caught between anger and something she couldn’t name—but I already knew.
She had walked into my night like a storm, uninvited and unplanned.
But storms never asked for permission. They take it. And so would I.
- Writer
