“I have two tickets. I’d be honoured if you came with me.”
The invitation hadweight. For a second, I didn’t know how to respond.
“Can I think about it?”
Stefan’s response was instant. “Of course.”
I liked that. No pressure or expectation, just space.
“Thank you.” Then music poured from the speakers, louder than before, killing any idea of conversation.
“It’ll be quieter outside,” Stefan said into my ear.
I nodded, and he grabbed my hand, leading me through the throng of men.
Out on the street, there were still voices, still the drone of traffic, but it felt muted somehow, as if everything had shifted out of reach.
We stood on the other side of the street, observing the crowd. Stefan was at my side, close enough that I could feel the heat of him.
My pulse was already unsteady, but now I didn’t pretend not to know why.
“You’re thinking again.” He grinned. “That’s rarely a good sign.”
I swallowed. “Not this time.”
That got his attention. He moved to stand in front of me, blocking my view of the bar, and I looked him in the eye.
“I told you today I wasn’t holding back anymore.” The words came out steadier than I expected.
Stefan didn’t move. “Yes.”
I shuddered out a breath. “I meant it.” I took a step towards him. Then another, closing the gap between us.
Stefan didn’t break eye contact. “I know.”
That was all it took.
The space between us disappeared, and I brought my hand up without thinking, finding the back of his neck, drawing him closer as our mouths met.
The kiss felt soreal.
Stefan’s hand was at my waist, steadying me, grounding me.
The world narrowed until all I knew was the pressure of his mouth against mine, the shift as the kiss deepened, not rushed, not forced, but simply a natural continuation of something that had already begun the night before.
Neither of us was hesitant or careful. I opened for him, and there was no second-guessing, no retreat, nothing but the heat of it, the reality…
The quiet, undeniable truth of what I wanted. What I’d chosen.
This was what I’d been waiting for.
Stefan’s thumb moved once against my side, a small, deliberate motion that sent a sharper awareness spearing through me.
I didn’t pull back or slow down the kiss. If anything, I leaned into it, deepening it, no longer restrained.
No longer afraid of my own desires, my own need.
We finally broke apart, but we stayed close, our foreheads touching, our uneven breaths mingling.