He stood, taking one slow step forward until her back met the wall. He didn't pin her, didn't touch her, just let his presence crowd around her.
"A kiss," he murmured, "is when we forget how to breathe. Try again, if you want to."
Her pulse hammered. She accepted the challenge, her hand slid to his collar before she even realized she'd moved.
This time she kissed him—a real kiss, slow, wild and intense, pouring every spark and defiance and desire into it. Zain answered with the same hunger, one hand on her waist, the other cradling the back of her head, deepening it. Lara's mind raced with heat, the world fading away as pleasure coursed through her. Zain's breath quickened, his gaze locked onto hers. He wanted her, and in that moment, she wanted him just as fiercely.
When they finally broke apart, their mouths still hovering close, the air between them hummed with tension. Both of them were breathless, almost shaking.
If we keep this up, I'm going to cross the line, Zain thought, the realization hitting him hard. "I should go," he managed between uneven breaths. "See you tomorrow." He forced himself to turn and walk out before he changed his mind.
As the door clicked shut, Lara pressed a hand to her lips, still tingling. "God, I'm losing my mind over his touch," she whispered to herself. "Get it together, Lara."
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Second day in City B.
"Hi, Ms. Lara," Rain greeted as she got into his car.
"Hi, Mr. Rain. Is Daisy not here yet?" she asked.
"I haven't picked her up. I'll drop you first, then go back to the hotel, get dressed, and pick her," he said as they pulled out onto the road.
"Oh, okay. Makes sense," she replied.
Ten, fifteen minutes later, they reached the venue. Lara stepped out. "Thanks, Mr. Rain," she said, shutting the door. The tires screeched as the car sped off.
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Zain, who'd been on a call outside, spotted her immediately. Lara was in a backless, body-hugging black dress, and he went completely silent mid-thought. When he ended the call, he didn't even give anyone else a chance to walk up to her—he moved first.
"You look great," he said quietly, leaning in just enough. "But I should've marked that smooth back of yours."
"I'm not your property to mark, Mr. Zain," she shot back under her breath.
Before she could move, another man stepped in front of her."Hi, Lara. Remember me? We met yesterday. Why don't you go in with me as my partner today?" he said, his hand already extending toward hers.
Zain's hand moved faster, pulling Lara slightly closer to him. "Mr. D," he said with a smile that wasn't a smile, "I see plenty of opportunities for your company. But I don't see us staying on good terms if you keep starting off like this."
Mr. D's face dropped. He backed off quickly and disappeared into the crowd.
Lara could still feel where Zain's hand had been against her bare skin, and it sent a jolt through her—annoying, unexpected, and impossible to ignore.
"Dear," he murmured, not quite teasing, "I know you're strong. But you might want to cover some of that beauty before men start hovering."
He shrugged off his black suit jacket and set it over her shoulders, like he wasn't giving her a choice.
Lara watched him walk off, jaw tight.
"What is wrong with him," she muttered.
She pushed at the jacket as if to fling it away, but her fingers stayed hooked in the fabric.His warmth lingered in it. His scent too—clean, dark, unmistakably him.
She hated how much she liked it.
"Perfect," she muttered, annoyed at herself now.