Maxen
I glanced through the café window. It was already late.
My mom wanted me to come home after visiting Ryan, but I didn't.
Being here feels... peaceful. Grounding.
The gentle hum of conversation earlier in the evening, the soft clink of mugs and quiet laughter—it reminded me why I started this place. That I could create something comforting. A space where people could just be.
And honestly?
I didn't want to think too much about everything else right now.
I glanced at the window again.
That strange feeling... like I was being watched. It passed quickly, but still, I looked around.
Nothing.
Then, a buzz from my phone pulled me out of it.
Rian.
His name alone settled something in me.
"Hey," he said when I answered.
"Hey," I replied, my voice softening.
"You still at the café?"
"Yeah. Just finishing up. About to head home."
"Hm… okay."
His voice dipped into hesitation.
I smiled. That was unusual. My man never hesitates. Something was up.
"Umm, Xe..." he sighed.
"Rian, what is it? Talk to me."
"I... I left my apartment key in your bag this morning. Can you go to my place instead of yours? I don't have a spare on me."
I chuckled. "Oh? Then why not just send your driver for it?" I teased.
But he rushed the reply.
"See you at home. I miss you and love you. Bye."
And he hung up.
I stared at the screen, a grin curling at my lips. My hand rested over my chest, right above the fluttering warmth that always came with him.
"Miss you too... and I love you more."
Because not everyone finds love—and even fewer are found by love in return.
Some meet the right person at the wrong time.
Some meet the wrong person at the right time.
But me?
I thank the heavens for this gift.
I packed my things and left the office. Everyone else had already gone home.
As I locked the café door behind me, that strange sense of being watched returned. My eyes scanned the street.
Still nothing.
Just the quiet of the night.
I exhaled slowly and headed to the parking lot.
Whatever it was—it would have to wait.
Because right now, my heart was somewhere else.
Adrian's apartment was quiet when I unlocked the door.
The kind of quiet that invites you in, like the warmth of a home after a long day.
I smiled to myself as I walked up the stairs to the bedroom.
What a story, Mr. Elio Veymar. My bag of all places—you left your key there?
Or was that your subtle way of asking me to move in?
I shook my head with a low laugh. This man... he's got me acting like a high school boy with a first crush.
I reached down and touched the bracelet he gave me. A small thing, really—but somehow, it carried so much weight. A reminder of how deeply he'd made a home in me.
I leaned back against the closed bedroom door. Our first kiss floated to the front of my memory—the urgency, the longing, the way he held me like he was afraid I'd disappear. No one had ever made me feel like that. No one had ever touched me and made it feel like prayer.
Pushing off the door, I walked to the closet.
Half of it was already filled with my clothes.
And that made something inside me ache, in the best way.
I grabbed something soft to change into and headed to the bathroom.
The steam curled around me as I stepped under the warm spray. My muscles began to loosen. My mind wandered.
I reached for Rian's shower gel and brought it to my nose.
That scent—clean, warm, musky—him.
Before I realized it, my hand was brushing over my chest, teasing at hardened nipples, my breath catching under the weight of the moment. I closed my eyes and leaned back against the tile, letting the water run over me.
I imagined him coming up behind me. His arms wrapping around my waist. His lips at my neck. His hands trailing over my body like he owned every inch of it.
A low sound escaped me—something between a sigh and a moan.
My hand began to drift lower.
But then—a touch.
A real one.
A hand stopped mine, firm but gentle.
My eyes flew open, startled, heart racing—until I saw him.
Adrian.
He was already under the spray with me, soaked, shirtless, eyes gleaming.
I swallowed hard and placed the shower gel back on the holder as heat rushed up my chest.
He leaned in, his lips near my ear, his voice like velvet.
"Oh, what a sight to be greeted by. I'm glad my scent can bring you to the edge... but I'm a little jealous, Xe. Thought I might've been replaced."
His tone was teasing, but I felt the weight behind it. The playful ache. The possessiveness I loved so much.
I shuddered, my body reacting instinctively to him, arching toward his warmth.
A soft moan escaped me.
My voice, low and breathless:
"Never. Nothing can replace you."
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TO BE CONTINUED...
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