Then his hand settled gently against her jaw.
And without any warning his lips crashed on hers as… He kissed her.
Softly at first.
Almost cautiously.
As though testing whether this was a mistake.
The answer came when Elena unconsciously kissed him back.
The moment she did, something inside him unraveled.
The careful restraint he'd maintained for weeks vanished.
The kiss deepened.
Intensely but not reckless.
Just impossibly consuming.
For a few seconds, neither remembered the wedding.
The arrangement.
Their families.
The endless complications waiting for them outside this moment.
There was only the warmth of his hand against her skin.
The steady beat of her heart.
The realization that somewhere along the way, pretending had become far more dangerous than either of them intended.
When they finally pulled apart, neither immediately spoke.
Neither seemed entirely certain what to say.
"ALCOHOL IS GETTING WARM IN HERE!"
Clara's voice echoed through the penthouse.
