KASMINE.
The universe had already cursed me for my sins-I was sure of it. How else could I explain this torment? This unbearable, all-consuming need with no relief in sight?
I couldn’t concentrate on anything. Not the pile of work in front of me, not even Jake’s constant questions about how best we could communicate now that I no longer have a secret phone.
I had ignored him. But a part of me felt terribly bad about it. He deserved an answer. He deserved my attention. But I barely had the presence of mind to spare him more than a few nods. Guilt clawed at the edges of my thoughts, but it wasn’t strong enough to override the fire burning beneath my skin.
I needed a release. Desperately.
My body was on high alert, and the slightest hint of contact with a man made my body tense, my core tightening with anticipation that had nowhere to go. The simplest things-watching a man roll up his sleeves, hearing the deep timbre of a voice-sent sharp jolts of arousal straight to my center. It was unbearable.
I considered slipping away to the restroom, locking myself in a stall, pressing my fingers between my thighs just long enough to take the edge off, but I was too worried. What if I was interrupted again? I wouldn’t survive another interruption. I needed more than a hurried, desperate release.
I needed to be alone. I needed the time and space to let myself fall apart.
Tonight. I’d lock the doors this time as soon as I got home. No distractions. No interruptions. Just me, my aching body, and the pleasure that had been so brutally denied me.
Kester was nowhere to be found as soon as we arrived at the office. A part of me felt relieved about it. Otherwise, I would have been tempted to go to him to finish up what he started earlier. And I was sure he’d have made me beg for it.
I was still lost in my own thoughts, fingers mindlessly flipping through a folder on my desk, when I heard the door creak open. I didn’t bother looking up at first, but the sound of footsteps made me glance up.
Jake stood there, a small bag in his hand, his lips curving into a smile as soon as our eyes met.
Something about Jake had always been soft in a way that made me feel… safe. And his eyes… Always warm and earnest. It always made my heart melt when I looked at him.
I smiled back at him, forcing and wishing the smile looked as genuine as I wanted it to look.
“You seemed a little out of it earlier,” he said in a light voice, but I caught the trace of concern beneath it. “Did I do something? Because if I did, I-”
“No,” I cut in quickly, shaking my head. “I’m just a little tired, that’s all.”
His shoulders relaxed slightly. “Good,” he exhaled, then gestured toward the bag. “I, uh… I got you something. Well, two things, actually.” He announced happily.
My curiosity sparked, and this time, my excitement wasn’t forced. I reached for the bag, pulling out a small, delicate box. My fingers trembled slightly as I opened it, and the moment I saw what was inside, a gasp left my lips.
A bracelet.
Not just any bracelet-it was intricate, dainty, a silver chain adorned with tiny charms that glistened under the soft office lighting. A crescent moon, a star, and-my heart clenched-a small, elegant “K” dangling between them.
“Jake?” I giggled, looking up at him as he stared at me lovingly, “You shouldn’t have…” I traced my fingers along the design, my smile growing wider.
My chest tightened, an unexpected warmth spreading through me. It was beautiful. Thoughtful.
For a moment, I forgot all about my worries. I loved gifts and surprises, which was why Kester made it a duty to give me lots of gifts when we were growing up. Those were the best days of my life.
“You like it?” Jake asked hesitantly.
I swallowed hard, blinking quickly to fight the prickling sensation behind my eyes. “I love it. It’s so beautiful,” I whispered, voice barely steady.
He smiled, eyes crinkling at the corners. “I saw it and thought of you.”
I swallowed past the lump in my throat… That warmth again. The quiet affection in his voice, the way he looked at me like I was someone-not a possession, not a challenge, not something to be conquered, but someone he saw.
Jake had always been like this-sweet, attentive. He noticed things about me, remembered the little details most people overlooked. And yet, even as I told myself this was what love should feel like, I couldn’t stop myself from thinking that Kester never had to notice. He just knew.
He knew me so well that you’d think he had a manual of my creation. He always knew.
‘Stop. Stop it, Kasmine!’ I scolded myself for the unintentional comparison as I shoved the thought away and reached for the second gift.
A phone.
I glanced up at him, confused. “Jake…”
“You need one,” he said simply, leaning against the edge of my desk. “We need one. I don’t like the idea of not being able to reach you. It kills me.” His hypnotizing blue eyes searched mine lovingly, and I felt every worry I had dissipate.
I exhaled shakily, my fingers brushing over the sleek surface of the device.
“I already put my number in there,” he added, “But, Kasmine…” He leaned in slightly, his expression turning serious. “You need to hide it properly this time. Don’t let him find it. Who knows what he might do to you if he ever does.”
Something about the way he said it made my stomach tighten. And, yes. He was correct. Kester would do the unthinkable to me if he ever found out, and I feared to accept the gift.
I nodded either way, gripping the phone a little tighter. “I will.”
He let out a small breath, his fingers drumming lightly against my desk, a telltale sign of his nerves. “Listen, about Sunday…”
I tilted my head. “What about it?”
A small smile played at his lips, but there was something nervous about the way he ran a hand through his dark hair. “I was thinking… After the surprise I have planned for you, maybe we could spend the rest of the evening together. Just us. I don’t know. Maybe drive out of town and find some quiet place, away from-” He paused, eyes flickering toward Kester’s empty office before looking back at me. “Away from everything.”
Jake had always had this way of making me feel like I could escape, even when I knew I couldn’t.
“I’d love that,” I said, and for the first time all day, I meant it.
His shoulders relaxed, “Good,” he murmured, and then his voice dipped slightly, just enough to make my heart stutter. “I just want to spend so much time with you that it hurts… You’ve occupied my mind, my thoughts… I just wish we had more time together.” He stepped closer to me, receiving the bracelet from my hands as he wore it around my left wrist.
“Because Kasmine…” His fingers traced the K carved on my new bracelet as he looked at it absentmindedly, “I’m falling for you. So hard that I fear I might lose myself to you.”
I sucked in a breath, my heart pounding so fiercely that I felt it echo in my ears. “Jake…” I whispered his name, the syllable trembling on my lips. A single tear slipped free, rolling down my cheek before I could stop it.
He caught it with his thumb, his touch achingly gentle. Then, without a word, he crouched beside me, his warm gaze searching my conflicted eyes as if looking for something-an answer, a sign, a reassurance that this wasn’t one-sided.
He stared for a moment too long that it sent a flutter straight to my stomach before he reached for me. His fingers curled behind my head, threading through my hair as he pulled me in for a slow, passionate kiss.
The kiss was slow, tender-so soft that it ached.
Jake kissed me like I was something precious. Like he wanted to savor me.
I let him. Even as something inside me whispered that this wasn’t enough. That I wanted more, needed more. A part of me longed for the kind of urgency that burned, the kind that left no room for hesitation.
The kind that only one person had ever offered…
I silenced those treacherous thoughts. This was Jake. This was the man who cared.
And right now, all that mattered was making him happy.
So I kissed him back, matching his tenderness, letting him feel what he needed to feel.
I was scared for his life. If Kester found us in this position, even if I offered him my virginity on a platter, he’d never spare Jake’s life. But right now, all that didn’t matter.
Jake slowly pulled away, his forehead resting against mine, his breath warm against my lips. His fingers lingered against my skin as if he was reluctant to let go.
He finally said those words I had been waiting for so long to hear from him, “I think I love you, Kasmine.”