WebNovels

Chapter 28 - Chapter 28: Cold Shower

Jordan POV

His lips touched mine. I didn't pull away. I let him kiss me, parted my lips to receive him, and he accepted, deepening the kiss. And I… I… got lost in it.

And not in that sweeping, earth-shattering way where the ground disappears and the world melts away. I got lost because… I couldn't keep up.

What on earth was he doing? His tongue moved in this odd, rushed, almost impatient way. I tried to adjust, but I was always half a beat behind. It was as if he didn't really know what to do with it… or was trying to wrestle with mine.

Was it me who didn't know how to kiss? Or was he just overdoing it? Because it was impossible someone that handsome, that seductive… could kiss this badly. Right? I hadn't kissed anyone in a long time, but I didn't remember it being this kind of chaotic tongue battle.

I tried to focus, to find a rhythm, to give him a chance. But the more he pushed, the more clumsy I felt. It was like dancing to music where I didn't know the steps—and he just kept speeding it up.

I couldn't take it. I pulled back slightly, ended the kiss with a forced smile. I thought of inventing some excuse to justify the pause. But before I could, he smiled back, satisfied, and pulled me in again.

Damn. He was actually enjoying this?

Okay. Maybe if I just… If I what? His tongue came at me again, eager, domineering, and all I could think was that this wasn't really a kiss… it was practically a fight.

I tried to keep up again. Found myself moving awkwardly, lost in a rhythm I couldn't catch. My heart was racing, but it wasn't passion. It was nerves. Anxiety.

No. I couldn't. I ended the kiss and pulled back. Tried to mask the discomfort, but I don't know if I succeeded.

"Lorenzo… I don't think this is a good idea. Chef Adam—"

"He doesn't need to know." His brow arched, certain. "We can keep it a secret."

A secret? Of course. Keep the relationship hidden, only to later find your boyfriend in bed with someone else. I'd seen this movie before. And, at least, my ex kissed better.

It was like a cold shower, a shock after all the charm, all the build-up. I'll admit I was confused, but I'd let myself be swept along by the moment, by him… yet those kisses? They just didn't work.

Could it get better? Maybe we were just out of sync, still finding the rhythm. Or maybe something essential was missing—something you can't fake.

He stepped toward me and I backed away instinctively. Can you blame me? I didn't want another tongue duel. How was I going to get out of this? Maybe with the classic "it's not you, it's me"…

"My ex suggested that too—keeping it a secret. But then I found out it was because I wasn't the only one." The words slipped out quietly.

"Okay." His reply was firm, unwavering. "Then no secrets."

I blinked at him several times. What exactly did that mean?

"We'll be official. No secrets."

"Official what?"

"Our relationship."

"Our what?" I nearly choked. It had been one kiss. Well, two. Two bad kisses. At least, that's how they felt to me. And now he wanted to talk about dating? Aren't men supposed to run from that? If we actually slept together, would he propose?

"No." The word tumbled out of me, panicked by where my thoughts were heading.

Silence fell heavy. He stared at me intently, and I dropped my gaze, too cowardly to meet his eyes. I still felt the discomfort of the kiss and the weight of everything moving far too fast.

"You don't want to be my girlfriend?" he asked.

After those kisses, he honestly thought we matched? Okay, maybe I'm being cruel. Maybe it could improve… right?

"Chef Adam…" I tried, scrambling for words.

"You don't want to date me because of Chef Adam?" he shot back immediately.

Yes. Maybe blaming his rules was the perfect excuse. Or should I tell him the truth—that the kiss was weird, that we didn't click?

"Lorenzo…" I tried to start. But I knew I couldn't confess the truth.

"I can wait," he cut me off.

"Huh?" I stumbled over the word, startled.

"Your internship is three months, right?" I nodded, still lost. "So in two months, Adam's rules won't apply anymore. Then we can be together."

I was speechless. I didn't know what shocked me more: that he was already talking about dating… or that he assumed with such certainty I wouldn't stay after the internship. Had Chef Adam said something to him? The thought crept in, uninvited.

The knot in my stomach tightened. The perfectly curated walls of the room suddenly felt too small. The air heavy. It was all too much, too fast.

"I'd better go," I blurted.

"We haven't had your dessert yet," he replied, serious.

A shiver ran through me. I cursed myself internally for even making the dessert. I sighed awkwardly and nodded. My legs felt like lead as I sat back down.

I wanted to run. My body screamed at me to get up, thank him, and vanish. But he was still my coworker. We still had to share the same kitchen. I still had two months of internship left. At least… but I wanted to stay longer.

And above all, I still hadn't answered that absurd idea of his—dating after the internship. Should I answer now? Or had my "I should go" been answer enough?

Probably not, judging by his insistent looks and the satisfied smile he wore as he served the dessert I had made myself.

He cut a slice for me, another for himself, and murmured:

"It's delicious," his voice low, dragging. "Just as I expected."

I smiled awkwardly, but inside, all I could hear was an echo that didn't come from here: No romances in my kitchen. Chef Adam's words had never been spoken directly to me, but now they hammered in my head like a warning I should have taken more seriously.

"I'm glad you like it," I said, my voice nearly caught.

"I like everything about you," he replied without hesitation.

The discomfort grew. My heart clenched. I'm doomed.

But was I overreacting? Was it just because I hadn't liked the kiss? Or maybe the problem was me—that my mind invented an excuse to escape. What if the kiss wasn't really that bad? What if I just didn't know how to keep up? Maybe I should try again?

No romances in my kitchen. Yes, Chef Adam. That's definitely less complicated.

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