Beats Of The Heart

Collision Of Sparks

Adrian appraised me as if searching for something with his eyes fixed on my face. I thought for a moment he would say something that might unbalance me-an inconveniently honest truth.

Then he smiled again.

"I think," he said, "you enjoy the game of pretending you are not interested. But within you, there is perhaps just waiting for someone bold enough to call your bluff."

Something sharp and electric flushed through me, triggering an unexpected thrill. He was not wrong, and I loathed the fact that he could read me that well.

I moved closer, letting my voice deepen into smooth tones. "And how do you know you are such a challenger?"

Adrian's lips widened in a smile. For the first time that night, he appeared genuinely interested. "Because you haven't walked away."

Damn him.

I could have walked away. I should have walked away. But I was here, standing too close, the atmosphere between us electrified with something hard to describe.

I tilted my head, gave him another half-smile. "Perhaps I just enjoy a good conversation."

He smiled slyly as he held up his glass. "Then let us continue this conversation."

Satisfied, I followed him to a remote corner of the hall, away from the attention-thirsty crowd. It was easy; flirtation came naturally, shooting a sharp look at him, curious on the surface but really testing the interest.

"Do you always hold people at bay?"

I made soft circles on the rim of my champagne glass with just one finger. "Only those I don't want too close."

Ah. He leaned in just a tad bit further. "And what category do I belong to?"

I stared back at him, feeling my pulse race after this so unexpected tête-à-tête. "That I leave to be seen."

The lip corner of his mouth twitched as though he'd seen through the game I was playing. "That'll do."

The night dragged on, but our moment was seized in time, electrified. That he got my full attention, no matter how much I would want to deny it.

Attention was not the same as permission.

I was not ready to let him in. Not yet.

So as the night started winding down and the crowd began to thin, I straightened my jacket and, with it, resumed my practiced composure. "Well," I told him, "this has been... interesting."

Adrian grinned. "I'll take interesting."

I turned to leave when just as I approached the edge of the ballroom, I found myself glancing back. He was staring at me, his face wreathed in the same cocksure knowledge.

I hesitated for a heartbeat.

Then I walked away.

And yes, just so, the attraction, the flame between us fettered me because I know myself well.

And I knew that letting someone like Adrian too close is inherently a dangerous venture.

But silence was always a choice.

He was thinking, chasing, but the wind which blew into his soul protected her from the reflection of the morning. It took friendship with fire to ignite this sapling.

"You asked," he told me, stepping inside as I moved out of the way.

The door clicked shut behind him, sounding in closer quarters.

Adrian's eyes roamed across my apartment-the sleek furniture, the quirky art pieces, the subtle indicators of wealth I never flaunted but never concealed-and settled back on me.

Curiosity registered on his features. And something else.

Something darker.

“So are you going to tell me why I’m here, or do I get to guess?”

Taking my time, I strolled across to the bar and poured myself a glass of red wine. "I guess I'm here with an offer."

He smirked and followed me but stayed back a little. "Sounds interesting."

I turned to face him and leaned against the bar with wine lightly twirling around in the glass. "I think we both know there is something between us."

His expression did not flinch for a moment, but I saw the flicker of interest. His stance shifted slightly, as if he were preparing himself.

"And what about it?"

"And I don't want it to get too complicated," I said after a beat, sipped my wine, and met his gaze again.

Adrian tilted his head at me, amusement twinkling in his dark eyes. "Is that your way of telling me you want to sleep with me but don’t want any of the complications?"

I smiled, slow and intentional. "Precisely."

He exhaled a short laugh and shook his head. "And here I was, thinking you like a challenge." "I like to be in control," I stated.

He studied me, eyes drifting down, then back up. The smirk faded into something completely unreadable. "You do have that quality, don't you?"

I held his gaze long enough to have him realize I felt nothing, did my best to pretend I had no idea how his words seemed like a thread unravelling, which I could not afford to pull.

I set my glass down and straightened. "One night only, Adrian. No strings attached. No expectations. No consequences."

There. It was said. My proposal, my trial.

Adrian sat still for a while and did not say anything before he let his eyes look at me long enough for something to tighten in my chest. Slowly, he stepped even closer.

"What makes you think you can keep it to just one night?"

His voice came low and knowing. I lifted my chin. "Because I don't attach."

He was so close now. I could feel the heat emanating from him and the smell of something dark and woodsy teasing my senses.

“Is this part of the test for?” he asked.

I did not flinch. I did not turn away. “I do not need to test what I already know.”

He regarded me and for a moment I thought he might call my bluff. But then something shifted in his expression-perhaps acceptance or something dangerously close to amusement.

“Okay,” he mumbled. “One night.”

My heart raced, but I suppressed it beneath years of polished armor.

He then reached out and let his fingers brush my wrist before going up my arm, the touch slow and deliberate. For once, I was overtaken not by the touch itself, but by how it made me feel, how it made me feel.