Closer Than Skin
691 Words
By the third month of their relationship, Kenneth and Bertha had become inseparable.
People around them noticed it immediately.
The constant phone calls.
The secret smiles.
The way Kenneth’s eyes searched for Bertha in every crowded room.
It was the kind of love that consumed quietly.
Not loud.
Not forced.
Just deep.
Dangerously deep.
Saturday evenings became their favorite escape.
No business calls.
No stress.
No outside noise.
Just the two of them.
That night, Bertha arrived at Kenneth’s apartment wearing a soft black dress that hugged her body perfectly. Her perfume filled the room the moment she stepped inside.
Kenneth looked up from his laptop.
And froze.
Bertha smiled knowingly.
“What?”
Kenneth slowly closed the laptop.
“You’re trying to kill me.”
She laughed softly, dropping her purse on the couch.
“You’re dramatic.”
“No,” Kenneth said, standing up slowly. “You just don’t understand what you do to me.”
The tension between them instantly became heavy.
Bertha loved that look in his eyes.
That hunger.
That softness.
That dangerous combination only she could bring out of him.
Kenneth walked toward her carefully, as though getting too close might make him lose control.
But maybe he already had.
He stopped in front of her.
For a second, neither of them moved.
Then Bertha gently placed her hands around his neck.
“You’ve been working too much,” she whispered.
Kenneth exhaled slowly.
“You’re the only thing keeping me sane right now.”
Bertha’s expression softened immediately.
She hated seeing him stressed.
Lately, his business problems had become worse. Payments were delayed again. New competitors were entering the market. Investors kept making promises without commitment.
But whenever Kenneth was with her, he tried to hide all of it.
And Bertha appreciated that effort more than he knew.
She touched his face gently.
“You don’t always have to act strong around me.”
Kenneth stared into her eyes for a long moment.
That was the problem with Bertha.
She saw through him too easily.
Before he could respond, she kissed him softly.
Slowly.
Tenderly.
And Kenneth instantly melted into her.
The kiss deepened naturally, filled with longing that had been building for days. Kenneth pulled her closer while Bertha smiled against his lips, feeling his heartbeat racing beneath her hands.
Everything about them felt magnetic.
Every touch.
Every breath.
Every second together.
It was becoming impossible to tell where Kenneth ended and where Bertha began.
Later that night, they lay together on the couch beneath dim golden lights while soft music played quietly in the background.
Bertha rested against his chest while Kenneth absentmindedly played with her fingers.
“Can I ask you something?” she said quietly.
Kenneth nodded.
“What if one day you become too successful for me?”
Kenneth frowned immediately.
“What kind of question is that?”
“I’m serious.”
She lifted her head slightly.
“What if your life changes? What if you meet better women? Richer women?”
Kenneth looked almost offended.
“Bertha.”
His voice was firm now.
“You think money would make me forget you?”
She didn’t answer.
Because deep down, Bertha had always feared abandonment.
And love had a way of exposing hidden fears.
Kenneth gently held her face.
“Listen to me carefully,” he said softly. “I don’t care how successful I become. If I’m winning in life and you’re not beside me, it won’t mean anything.”
Bertha felt tears sting her eyes.
Not because she was sad.
But because nobody had ever loved her that way before.
That night became one of the most beautiful nights they had ever shared together.
Not because of passion alone.
But because of emotional closeness.
For the first time, Kenneth truly allowed himself to imagine forever with someone.
And for the first time, Bertha began depending emotionally on another person for her happiness.
Neither of them realized it yet…
But love becomes dangerous when two people slowly make each other their entire world.
And the deeper the attachment became…
the more painful the coming storm would be.
- Writer
