The night felt too quiet.
Ariana stood at the edge of the terrace, the gentle Caribbean breeze tugging at the hem of her dress. The moon hung low, casting silver streaks across the ocean, the waves whispering softly against the shore. The world seemed suspended in time, just as everything between her and Leo had become.
A deep breath in. A long exhale.
It had been hours since the game of truth or dare had ended. The flicker of torches and the laughter of Leo's elite guests had died away, leaving only the distant hum of the night around them. And now, here they were again, alone.
The door behind her creaked open.
She didn't turn.
"I didn't think you'd come out here," Leo's voice said, his words deep and rough from the drink, the tension, and perhaps, the weight of everything they had been skirting around.
Ariana's pulse quickened.
She didn't look at him.
Leo approached slowly, his footsteps light on the stone floor, the sound of his breath audible in the stillness. The air between them was charged, heavy, like the moment before a storm. He stopped behind her, close enough that she could feel the warmth of his body against the cool night.
"What are we doing, Ariana?" His voice was softer now, unsure.
She swallowed hard, forcing her eyes to remain fixed on the horizon. "What do you mean?"
"I'm trying to figure out if this—" He gestured vaguely between them, "—is something real. Or if we're just playing out a script."
Ariana felt a chill run through her, but not from the night air. From him.
From what he was saying.
Slowly, she turned to face him, her eyes searching his face for the truth behind those words. His features were sharp, his jaw tense, but his eyes were… different. Softer. There was something raw beneath the cold, something she hadn't seen before.
"I'm not pretending anymore," she said quietly, her voice trembling only slightly. "Are you?"
Leo's eyes flickered, and for a second, she thought he would pull away. But instead, he stepped closer, closing the distance between them.
"I've been pretending since the moment you walked into my life, Ariana," he admitted, his voice raw, as if the words were forcing their way out. "Pretending that this… us… doesn't matter. That I'm not falling for you."
Ariana's heart stuttered in her chest. His words were a confession, and for the first time, they felt like they were coming from the Leo she had only glimpsed in moments of vulnerability.
"You're falling for me?" she whispered, unsure if she was hearing him correctly.
Leo nodded once, his throat working as if the confession physically hurt him. "I'm a businessman, Ariana. I deal in contracts. I don't do feelings."
"And yet, here we are," she said, her voice thick with emotion.
Her eyes locked onto his, the air between them thick with everything they hadn't said, everything they had buried. She couldn't breathe. The walls between them had started to crumble, piece by piece, and now there was nothing left but the truth that neither of them seemed ready to face.
Leo reached out, his hand brushing against hers. It was a tentative touch, like he was still afraid she would pull away. But Ariana didn't. She didn't flinch, didn't retreat.
Instead, she closed the distance, stepping into his arms. She didn't know what she was doing, but she knew that for the first time, she wasn't afraid of it. Not afraid of him. Not afraid of what they were.
She tilted her head, staring up at him, her breath shallow as his thumb brushed her cheek. His touch was tender, almost reverent, like he was afraid she would break under his fingers.
"I don't want to fight this anymore," she said, her voice barely a whisper.
Leo's gaze darkened. "Then don't."
His lips crashed against hers, urgent and hungry, as if he had been holding back for far too long. There was no calculation in it, no cold precision. Just raw need. His hands moved to her waist, pulling her closer, deepening the kiss. Ariana's pulse raced, her body responding instinctively, her arms wrapping around his neck, pulling him closer.
This wasn't a contract.
It wasn't a business arrangement.
It was real.
It was everything they had both been pretending it wasn't.
The kiss was slow, deliberate, a clash of need and tenderness. It was everything they had avoided—everything they had been running from. And yet, it was everything they both needed.
Ariana pulled away just enough to breathe, her chest rising and falling with the intensity of the moment. "Leo…" she whispered, her voice shaking.
"I know," he murmured, his forehead pressed against hers, their breaths mingling. "I know. But I can't… I can't stop this anymore. I can't pretend that I don't feel this. You."
Her heart skipped a beat.
Ariana's hands slid down his chest, her fingers brushing against the hard planes of his body. She felt the heat of him beneath his shirt, the steady beat of his heart against her palm. Her head spun with the realization of what they were about to do.
"I don't want to stop either," she admitted, her voice trembling.
He kissed her again, deeper this time, his hands slipping beneath the hem of her dress, pulling her closer. The world around them seemed to fall away—nothing existed except the heat between them, the tension that had been building for weeks, the raw emotion they could no longer deny.
Ariana's heart raced, her body responding to him in ways she hadn't expected. Every touch was electric, every kiss a promise. But then, as quickly as it had started, Leo pulled back, his chest heaving as he stared at her.
"I don't want to hurt you," he said, his voice strained, as if the words were being forced from him.
Ariana shook her head, her hand gently resting on his chest. "You're not. I'm not… afraid."
Leo's eyes searched hers, his expression conflicted. "I don't know how to do this. To be what you need. To be what we need."
Ariana stood on her toes, pressing her lips to his once more, soft and slow. "Then we'll figure it out. Together."
The kiss deepened again, more intense this time, both of them losing themselves in the moment, the moment where nothing else mattered.
They broke apart, breathless.
"I don't know what comes next," Leo whispered.
"Neither do I," Ariana admitted.
But for the first time, that was okay.
Because they were in it together. And somehow, that was enough.
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