His Forbidden Touch

Chapter 12 : The First Kiss

Elena told herself she wouldn’t think about it again.

The elevator.

His nearness.

The way his voice had wrapped around her name like a caress.

But lying to herself had never worked before, and it certainly didn’t now.

All night she had tossed and turned beside Daniel, pretending to sleep, when in reality her mind kept replaying those few stolen seconds when Adrian had almost kissed her. The heat in his eyes, the magnetic pull of his body—it haunted her, taunting her with what hadn’t happened.

By morning, she looked exhausted, her lips pressed tight, her chest heavy with guilt. Daniel kissed her cheek as he left for work, his warmth familiar and kind—but instead of comforting her, it only reminded her of what she was betraying.

When she arrived at Blackwell Enterprises, her heart was already unsteady.

And it only worsened when she stepped into Adrian’s office.

He was at the window, tall and commanding, city skyline stretching behind him like a throne. He didn’t turn as she entered, but she knew he was aware of her. He always was.

“You’re late,” he said, his voice even.

Elena’s throat tightened. “Only five minutes.”

Finally, he turned. His eyes locked onto hers with that same devastating intensity. For a long moment, neither of them spoke. The air pulsed between them, thick and electric.

She placed the files on his desk, trying to steady her hands. “Here are the reports you asked for.”

But when she turned to leave, his voice stopped her cold.

“Elena.”

Her steps faltered. Slowly, she looked back.

Adrian’s jaw was tight, his control slipping. “Stay.”

Her chest rose and fell too quickly. She shouldn’t. God, she shouldn’t. But her feet disobeyed her mind, carrying her back into the room, back into the storm she had no hope of surviving.

He moved then decisive, unstoppable. In two strides, he was in front of her, towering over her, his presence stealing every ounce of air from her lungs.

Her back brushed against the desk as he closed the distance. His hand came up, fingers grazing her cheek, so gentle it made her tremble.

“You drive me insane,” he murmured, his voice raw, dangerous. “Do you know that?”

Elena’s breath shuddered. “We shouldn’t”

“I don’t care.”

His lips claimed hers before she could finish.

The kiss was fire. Fierce, hungry, overwhelming. His mouth pressed against hers with a need so intense it stole her breath, his hand sliding into her hair to hold her still, to keep her exactly where he wanted her.

A startled gasp escaped her, but it melted into him, her body betraying her mind. She gripped his shirt, desperate for balance as her knees weakened, as heat flooded every inch of her.

It wasn’t gentle. It wasn’t sweet. It was everything they had been holding back, exploding all at once.

Her heart thundered wildly as his tongue brushed against hers, coaxing, demanding, devouring. She tasted him—dark, intoxicating—and it left her dizzy, addicted in an instant.

Her mind screamed stop, screamed Daniel, screamed wrong.

But her body… her body arched into him, begged for more.

Adrian groaned softly into her mouth, the sound sending sparks down her spine. His other hand pressed against the desk beside her, caging her in, claiming her completely.

Time fractured. The world outside that office ceased to exist. There was only his mouth on hers, his heat consuming her, the raw, forbidden hunger that tied them together.

And then suddenly she tore herself away.

Her chest heaved, lips swollen, eyes wide with shock.

Adrian’s gaze burned into her, stormy and relentless. His jaw clenched as though he was restraining himself with every ounce of control he had left.

“Elena…” His voice was low, rough, dangerous. “Don’t run.”

But she did.

She pushed past him, nearly stumbling as she fled out the door, her heart a wild drum against her ribs.

Because she knew if she stayed a second longer she wouldn’t have stopped.

And that terrified her more than anything.