Chapter 3
1995 Words
The kiss changed something.
June wasn’t sure what, exactly, but it lingered in the air long after the moment had passed. She sat on the edge of the massive bed in her guest suite, the soft hum of the city beyond the window barely registering. Her lips still tingled.
Cassian Wolfe had kissed her.
And not the type of kiss meant to seal a business deal. No, this one had heat. Hunger. A warning.
She’d kissed him back. That part unsettled her the most.
June exhaled and stood, walking barefoot to the floor-to-ceiling windows. The skyline glimmered like temptation—distant, cold, unreachable. Just like Cassian. Except… it didn’t feel so distant anymore.
⸻
She found him downstairs early the next morning, already dressed in a crisp black shirt, sleeves rolled to his elbows, eyes locked on some document. A mug of coffee sat untouched beside him.
He barely looked up. “Sleep well?”
She crossed her arms. “You kissed me.”
“I recall,” he said mildly. “You kissed me back.”
Her jaw clenched. “It was just a moment.”
“It was mutual.”
“You caught me off guard.”
“You liked it.”
June marched over and leaned across the table, her hands bracing the glass. “Don’t do that. Don’t twist things just because you think you’re always in control.”
Cassian’s eyes finally met hers. “I don’t have to twist anything, Monroe. You’re the one making this complicated.”
“No,” she said, voice tight. “You are.”
⸻
The day passed in a blur of tension. They had an event that evening—an investor retreat Cassian was hosting at an exclusive resort just outside the city.
Cassian’s staff had everything arranged, including wardrobe. June’s dress was emerald green silk, the slit dangerously high. Cassian’s eyes had lingered when he saw her, but he said nothing. Just offered his arm.
She took it, begrudgingly.
They arrived to a sea of money, diamonds, and the sharp-edged smiles of the ultra-rich. June played her role perfectly, a beautiful woman on the arm of the youngest Wolfe heir. She could feel the eyes on them, the speculation.
Cassian leaned close as they walked toward the ballroom. “You look stunning.”
June didn’t look at him. “Don’t say that unless you mean it.”
“I never say things I don’t mean.”
That made her glance at him—just for a second. Enough to catch the flicker of something unreadable in his eyes.
⸻
Dinner was elegant. Overly so. June felt like a porcelain doll, placed at Cassian’s side for decoration and scrutiny.
She managed a composed smile, until Selene arrived.
The brunette wore black this time. Her gaze swept the table and landed on June like a blade. She walked over without invitation.
“Cassian,” she purred, ignoring June. “You’ve always had a thing for strays, haven’t you?”
June blinked. “Is that your idea of polite dinner conversation?”
Selene finally turned to her, arching a brow. “And you are?”
“His wife,” June said, voice crisp. “Unless you missed the press release.”
Selene’s smile turned cruel. “Right. The charity case.”
Cassian stiffened beside her, but didn’t speak. June didn’t wait.
She leaned in slightly, tilting her head. “It must be exhausting, still orbiting someone who doesn’t want you.”
Selene’s face cracked, just slightly.
Cassian placed a hand on June’s knee under the table—a warning, or maybe reassurance.
Selene retreated with narrowed eyes.
June exhaled.
Cassian said nothing for a moment. Then, “You didn’t have to do that.”
June sipped her wine. “I know.”
“But you did.”
“I was defending myself. And you, apparently.”
“You’re not here to play games, June.”
“No,” she said. “But I’m not here to lose either.”
⸻
Later, when the crowd had thinned and the air was cooler, they stepped onto the terrace overlooking the pool. The water shimmered blue beneath the night sky.
June leaned on the railing, arms crossed, the wind tugging at her hair.
Cassian stood beside her, silent.
“She hates me,” June said after a while.
“She doesn’t matter.”
June turned. “She mattered enough once.”
Cassian’s jaw flexed. “That was a lifetime ago.”
June studied him. “Did you love her?”
“No.”
She waited for more. When nothing came, she looked away. “Do you love anyone?”
He didn’t answer. The silence stretched between them, thick and heavy.
Cassian stepped closer, his voice low. “This wasn’t supposed to get messy.”
“But it is,” she whispered.
His gaze dropped to her mouth. “Then maybe we stop pretending.”
June blinked. “What are you saying?”
“That maybe this arrangement doesn’t have to be cold and calculated. Maybe we let it… evolve.”
She gave a small laugh, but it was nervous. “You’re talking like this is some rom-com.”
Cassian didn’t laugh. “I’m talking like a man who can’t get you out of his head.”
Her breath caught.
“Let’s stop fighting it,” he said. “For tonight. No contracts. No cameras. Just you and me.”
June hesitated. The weight of his gaze, the tension between them—it was too much. She wanted to run. She wanted to stay.
So she nodded.
⸻
She didn’t remember walking to his suite. Just the warm hum in her blood. The click of the door closing behind her. Cassian standing inches away.
He reached for her slowly, giving her the chance to stop him.
She didn’t.
When he kissed her again, it wasn’t sharp or possessive like last time. It was slower, deeper. Like he was trying to memorize her.
June’s hands curled into his shirt.
She didn’t know what any of this meant.
But for once, she didn’t want to know.
She just wanted to feel.
The kiss changed something.
June wasn’t sure what, exactly, but it lingered in the air long after the moment had passed. She sat on the edge of the massive bed in her guest suite, the soft hum of the city beyond the window barely registering. Her lips still tingled.
Cassian Wolfe had kissed her.
And not the type of kiss meant to seal a business deal. No, this one had heat. Hunger. A warning.
She’d kissed him back. That part unsettled her the most.
June exhaled and stood, walking barefoot to the floor-to-ceiling windows. The skyline glimmered like temptation—distant, cold, unreachable. Just like Cassian. Except… it didn’t feel so distant anymore.
⸻
She found him downstairs early the next morning, already dressed in a crisp black shirt, sleeves rolled to his elbows, eyes locked on some document. A mug of coffee sat untouched beside him.
He barely looked up. “Sleep well?”
She crossed her arms. “You kissed me.”
“I recall,” he said mildly. “You kissed me back.”
Her jaw clenched. “It was just a moment.”
“It was mutual.”
“You caught me off guard.”
“You liked it.”
June marched over and leaned across the table, her hands bracing the glass. “Don’t do that. Don’t twist things just because you think you’re always in control.”
Cassian’s eyes finally met hers. “I don’t have to twist anything, Monroe. You’re the one making this complicated.”
“No,” she said, voice tight. “You are.”
⸻
The day passed in a blur of tension. They had an event that evening—an investor retreat Cassian was hosting at an exclusive resort just outside the city.
Cassian’s staff had everything arranged, including wardrobe. June’s dress was emerald green silk, the slit dangerously high. Cassian’s eyes had lingered when he saw her, but he said nothing. Just offered his arm.
She took it, begrudgingly.
They arrived to a sea of money, diamonds, and the sharp-edged smiles of the ultra-rich. June played her role perfectly, a beautiful woman on the arm of the youngest Wolfe heir. She could feel the eyes on them, the speculation.
Cassian leaned close as they walked toward the ballroom. “You look stunning.”
June didn’t look at him. “Don’t say that unless you mean it.”
“I never say things I don’t mean.”
That made her glance at him—just for a second. Enough to catch the flicker of something unreadable in his eyes.
⸻
Dinner was elegant. Overly so. June felt like a porcelain doll, placed at Cassian’s side for decoration and scrutiny.
She managed a composed smile, until Selene arrived.
The brunette wore black this time. Her gaze swept the table and landed on June like a blade. She walked over without invitation.
“Cassian,” she purred, ignoring June. “You’ve always had a thing for strays, haven’t you?”
June blinked. “Is that your idea of polite dinner conversation?”
Selene finally turned to her, arching a brow. “And you are?”
“His wife,” June said, voice crisp. “Unless you missed the press release.”
Selene’s smile turned cruel. “Right. The charity case.”
Cassian stiffened beside her, but didn’t speak. June didn’t wait.
She leaned in slightly, tilting her head. “It must be exhausting, still orbiting someone who doesn’t want you.”
Selene’s face cracked, just slightly.
Cassian placed a hand on June’s knee under the table—a warning, or maybe reassurance.
Selene retreated with narrowed eyes.
June exhaled.
Cassian said nothing for a moment. Then, “You didn’t have to do that.”
June sipped her wine. “I know.”
“But you did.”
“I was defending myself. And you, apparently.”
“You’re not here to play games, June.”
“No,” she said. “But I’m not here to lose either.”
⸻
Later, when the crowd had thinned and the air was cooler, they stepped onto the terrace overlooking the pool. The water shimmered blue beneath the night sky.
June leaned on the railing, arms crossed, the wind tugging at her hair.
Cassian stood beside her, silent.
“She hates me,” June said after a while.
“She doesn’t matter.”
June turned. “She mattered enough once.”
Cassian’s jaw flexed. “That was a lifetime ago.”
June studied him. “Did you love her?”
“No.”
She waited for more. When nothing came, she looked away. “Do you love anyone?”
He didn’t answer. The silence stretched between them, thick and heavy.
Cassian stepped closer, his voice low. “This wasn’t supposed to get messy.”
“But it is,” she whispered.
His gaze dropped to her mouth. “Then maybe we stop pretending.”
June blinked. “What are you saying?”
“That maybe this arrangement doesn’t have to be cold and calculated. Maybe we let it… evolve.”
She gave a small laugh, but it was nervous. “You’re talking like this is some rom-com.”
Cassian didn’t laugh. “I’m talking like a man who can’t get you out of his head.”
Her breath caught.
“Let’s stop fighting it,” he said. “For tonight. No contracts. No cameras. Just you and me.”
June hesitated. The weight of his gaze, the tension between them—it was too much. She wanted to run. She wanted to stay.
So she nodded.
⸻
She didn’t remember walking to his suite. Just the warm hum in her blood. The click of the door closing behind her. Cassian standing inches away.
He reached for her slowly, giving her the chance to stop him.
- Writer
