Sophia Sullivan's lips curved slightly. "It has been a while since I last saw the old eccentric. Perfect timing to visit him tomorrow."
She stretched lazily, letting out a soft yawn.
The car's interior was comfortably warm, the plush seats cradling her body. Outside, the scenery blurred into streaks of light as they sped past. In this cocoon of tranquility, Sophia's usual vigilance gradually melted away.
She didn't even realize when sleep claimed her. The last thing she remembered was the sensation of being enveloped in warmth, a familiar scent wrapping around her like a security blanket.
Too comfortable to move a finger.
When she finally stirred awake, her lashes fluttered open with lingering drowsiness.
The suit jacket draped over her shoulders slid down.
"...Did I fall asleep?"
She turned to Ethan Sullivan in the driver's seat.
The black sedan had long been parked steadily before the villa gates.
They'd arrived far quicker than expected.
What surprised her more was how deeply she'd slept in an unfamiliar environment—a vulnerability she usually only displayed around those she trusted implicitly.
"You've been overworked lately, Ms. Sullivan. The nap did you good." Ethan leaned over, fingers brushing the seatbelt buckle. "The bedroom would be more comfortable. Let me escort you inside."
Truthfully, watching Sophia sleep had evoked an inexplicable sense of calm in him—a fleeting déjà vu from some half-forgotten dream.
...Perhaps just an illusion.
Sophia rubbed her temples, clarity slowly returning. "Must be the fatigue. No need to trouble you, Mr. Sullivan—"
Her fingers moved to unfasten the belt when a sharp pain shot through her scalp.
"Ah—!"
Instinctively, her hand clamped around Ethan's wrist.
"Don't move. Your hair's tangled in the button."
The more she struggled, the tighter the silken strands wound around his shirt button, forcing her into an awkward forward lean.
The angle was disastrous.
Her gaze landed squarely on the prominent bulge straining against his trousers.
Sophia was no blushing virgin, but their previous encounters had always been shrouded in dim lighting. Now, under the car's harsh interior lights, every detail was mercilessly exposed.
The ordeal ended sooner than expected.
"Free now." Ethan held up the liberated strand between his fingers. "My apologies—my button ensnared you."
Her raven hair cascaded like satin, carrying a faint floral fragrance.
As he released it, the lock tumbled back over her shoulder.
Sophia exhaled in relief. "At least it didn't snap—"
Her words died when she abruptly looked up.
Ethan had chosen that exact moment to lean in.
Their lips brushed—barely a kiss, just the briefest contact of skin.
Yet the accidental touch froze the air between them.
Raindrops pattered against the windows in a rhythmic whisper. In the enclosed space, every breath and heartbeat amplified.
Thud. Thud. Thud—
Ethan couldn't tell whose pulse roared louder.
The civilized choice would be to pretend nothing happened and part ways.
But their locked gazes simmered with unspoken tension.
"Mr. Sullivan... ever seen a cat do a backflip?"
Sophia's voice had dropped to a husky murmur.
A grown woman's invitation, clear as day.
Ethan studied the flush creeping up her neck, the lingering alcohol on her breath darkening his gaze. His knuckles whitened.
"...Do you see who's before you?"
He refused to be anyone's substitute.
If alcohol blurred her vision, he'd stop this now.
Confusion flickered through Sophia's hazy mind, but the heat coiling low in her belly left no room for hesitation. Whether it was the remnants of liquor or the hypnotic rain, she met his smoldering stare head-on.
"Ethan Sullivan, if you don't want to—"
Her challenge was swallowed by a searing kiss.
This was no tentative exploration, but a claiming.
His hands slid under her skirt, fingertips branding her waist. The strap of her dress slipped down as he mapped every shiver she couldn't suppress.
Sophia arched into him, nails scoring red trails down his shoulders while their fingers intertwined—one hand pinned beneath his.
For the first time, they drowned in each other wide awake.
Every touch was deliberate.
Every gasp, intentional.
This was a kiss born of pure hunger.