Uncharted Hearts: From Casual to Forever

016~ A GLIMMER

Aria

The cold wind swept over me as I stepped out of the bar, an involuntary shiver coursing down my spine. The realization hit me – I had forgotten my jacket inside. The exterior of the bar, located in a quiet area, was nearly deserted, save for a distant street lamp casting a dim glow.

Spotting him leaning on a car booth, a lit cigarette between his lips, my heart quickened. The way he held the cigarette, the caress of his fingers, and the smoke that spiralled around his face painted an irresistible picture. I couldn't help but imagine the taste and texture of the smoke, envisioning the sensation of it filling my lungs and contemplating how it might deepen his already seductive voice.

With a calming breath, I walked towards him. He caught sight of me approaching, the barely illuminated glow of the cigarette highlighting his rugged features. His piercing gaze met mine, a mix of slight anger and undeniable attraction simmering within. Each step towards him intensified the surge of nervousness, my heart racing with every beat.

Pausing at a distance, our eyes still locked, I couldn't help but notice the allure of his slow drag. The gentle exhale seemed to wrap around him, and I couldn't deny the attraction I felt when he smoked. It was just another facet of his irresistible allure, making everything he did radiate a captivating heat.

I gazed at him, captivated by a presence I thought unattainable. He's the tempting blend of a forbidden sip—knowing it might be risky, but unable to resist the allure that draws me in, making every moment intoxicating.

"Do you think it's a good idea staying out here, alone, with a guy that wants to get into your pants?" he questioned, the words stinging. I felt a pang in my chest, realizing he was now using my own words against me.

"I-I am sorry. I didn't mean it," I apologized, rubbing my arms nervously. "I was just angry and lashed out at you. I know this isn't an excuse," I trailed off, taking a deep breath, grappling for the right words to convey the depth of my regret.

"You are damn right about that. Who the f**k is that brown-haired guy anyway?"

His question left me in a state of bewilderment, and I shot him a perplexed look, silently questioning the subject of his inquiry. His lingering gaze suggested I held the key to the answer.

In the swirl of confusion, one brown-haired figure stood out in my mind.

"Alex? He's my colleague," I responded, but the clenching of his jaw hinted at emotions beneath the surface. Was he upset about my connection with Alex?

"Seems like you two are tight, knowing his name and all," Lucas commented, his gaze penetrating, setting a trap in his question.

Quickly defending my stance, I clarified, "I just found out today. It's not like we're close or anything—I only learned his name because it came up in conversation."

His head tossed back, releasing a swirl of smoke, Lucas absorbed my words.

"f**k," he muttered, frustration and contemplation mingling in the air.

Disrupting the charged atmosphere, he motioned, "Come here," and as if enchanted, I followed, taking tentative steps towards him. Leaning away from the car, he extinguished the cigarette with a deliberate tap of his boot.

"I did some thinking," he admitted, a contemplative tone underlying his words.

"I can't be just friends with you," he stated, desire infusing his words. "How do you expect us to stay in the friend zone when I've tasted you? Felt you melt under my touch? Pretending there's no s****l tension between us would be a lie we can't keep telling ourselves." The raw honesty in his voice echoed the unspoken desires that lingered between us, a bridge we could no longer ignore.

Frozen in place, my mind screamed caution, but my body betrayed me, rooted in position. With each step he took, the scent of his cologne mixed with the lingering trace of extinguished cigarette, an intoxicating concoction. His hands found my waist, drawing me closer, our bodies aligning perfectly. A surprised sound escaped my lips as warmth surged between us. My breath caught, heart pounding at the closeness, yet I couldn't retreat – I craved it.

His fingers, both firm and tender, brushed my cheek, sending electric shivers down my spine. Ensnared by the magnetic pull, I swallowed hard. "Tell me, Aria," he whispered, his warm breath caressing me as his thumb grazed my lips, "do you want us to keep pretending this attraction doesn't exist?"

Breathless, I found myself captivated by the intensity in his gaze. His thumb traced the curves of my lips, rendering me momentarily speechless. The palpable desire lingered between us, a fervent force impossible to ignore. As I yearned for him, the admission felt like venturing onto a precarious path, a regression into a situation I thought I'd escaped three years ago. Why was his allure still ensnaring me?

"I... I don't know," I hesitated, my voice trembling, uncertainty palpable in the air.

His grip tightened around my waist, the demand for clarity hanging in the air. "Tell me what you want, Aria. You know exactly what you want," he asserted, his unwavering gaze locked onto mine, insistent on unraveling the truth.

And he knew it. He knew I wanted him, all of him. The truth, concealed for three years, surfaced as I admitted it to myself. I had been deceiving myself, convincing that I didn't care. Yet, the moment I encountered him at the party again, I realized I was ensnared. This feeling couldn't be discarded; it was an indelible part of me.

In that charged moment, as the air crackled with tension, I embraced my desires. The alcohol became my convenient scapegoat, a justification for the bold actions I was about to undertake.

Attributing it to the influence of alcohol, I stood on my toes, hands exploring the expanse of his shoulders that now enveloped his neck. His gaze held anticipation as he continued to lock eyes with me.

Closing my eyes, I surrendered to the moment, pulling him closer, and our lips collided in a heated kiss. A delectable shiver raced down my spine, the meeting of our lips igniting a sensation that resonated through every inch of my being.

His grip on the back of my head tightened possessively, fingers interwoven with my hair as the kiss deepened. An irresistible sweetness surged through my entire body, a sensation beyond my control. "f**k," he growled into my mouth.

The lingering taste of tobacco on his lips intensified the intimacy, merging with the rhythmic thud of our synchronized heartbeats. The world around us faded, leaving only the palpable connection between us, each heartbeat echoing the shared desire that hung in the air.

His hand traced a heated path down my neck, igniting goosebumps in its wake, until it firmly rested on my hips. Craving more, he pulled me even closer, the desire for our bare skin to intertwine palpable. My core pulsed with need, and a moan escaped my lips, blending with our shared breaths as his tongue explored my mouth.

Oh, how I had missed this.

His hands seized my ass, guiding my hips in a seductive dance against his, our desires perfectly aligning. He broke the kiss, leaving me panting and yearning for more intimate contact.

He held me burying his nose into my hair, and whispered, "I missed you,"

I grappled with the conflicting emotions swirling within.

I missed you too.

I hesitated to voice it aloud, unsure if our meanings aligned.

Clutching his shirt, my head rested on his chest, the rhythmic thud of his heartbeat resonating loudly.

"Did you miss me?" he asked, and I tensed, wrestling with how to admit my feelings.

Before I could respond, Alex's voice interrupted the intimate moment. "Miss. Carter," he called, and I attempted to pull away, but Lucas held me in place.

"We don't want him thinking he has a chance, do we?" Lucas's voice, laced with a hint of anger, teased my ear.

Trembling, I responded, "He's just a colleague."

"He doesn't know that; he keeps hitting on you," he asserted, his protective tone adding complexity to the already tangled emotions.

From the corner of my eye, I noticed Alex cautiously approaching us. "Her phone has been ringing," he stated, handing over my coat and purse to Lucas.

The atmosphere tensed, and I could almost sense the stern exchange without looking.

"Hmm," Lucas replied nonchalantly, and Alex quickly retreated.

"Now he knows his place," Lucas remarked, his voice carrying a hint of possessiveness as he kissed my hair.

"Can you let me go now?" I inquired, seeking some distance.

"No, not yet," he chuckled, his arms holding me firmly.

In his arms, his warmth a comforting shield from the cold, we stood together. The fleeting wish crossed my mind – for time to pause in that perfect moment. However, a subtle sense of forgetfulness lingered, a reminder that there was something crucial slipping from my thoughts.