Lucas
Kaelen and I had a long list of meetings lined up for the morning, so I wasn’t expecting much more than business as usual. Alara had been on my mind lately, but I’d been doing my best to keep my distance. Things were already complicated enough. And at this point, I knew that it was not healthy for me to think about her continuously.
Kaelen mentioned at the office that he had plans with Alara for dinner that evening-a special date. I could see how much it meant to her, the excitement in her eyes when he told her earlier. She’d been looking forward to it for days, and for a brief moment, I thought that maybe things would go back to how they should be between them. That maybe Kaelen would start to see her the way she deserved to be seen.
But as the day dragged on, something shifted in Kaelen’s mood. During our last meeting, he seemed distracted, not entirely present. When the final discussion wrapped up and we gathered our things, I expected him to rush home. After all, he had a dinner date to get to.
Except he didn’t.
He lingered in the office, sitting back in his chair, staring at nothing in particular. I finished gathering my papers and glanced at him, wondering what was going on. Something was off. This wasn’t his usual self, ever since Kaida left, he has been in this downward mood most
times. And now, I knew that she was pregnant-with twins- but the risk to her own safety was more severe than anything else and it was important to keep her safe.
“Kaelen?” I called, trying to gauge his mood. “You alright? It’s getting late.”
He turned to look at me, and for a moment, I saw something in his eyes-something distant, as though his mind was a thousand miles away. He didn’t seem eager to go home, which was odd given how excited Alara had been about their plans.
“I don’t think I can make it tonight,” he finally said, rubbing the back of his neck.
I blinked. “What do you mean? Alara’s expecting you. She’s been looking forward to this dinner.”
He sighed, standing up from his chair, pacing the office. “I know, I know. But there’s something I need to take care of-work-related. I can’t cancel it.”
I frowned, confused. “You’ve been talking about this dinner for days. Can’t it wait?”
Kaelen shook his head, looking more frustrated with himself than anything. “It’s not just that.
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I’ve got a lot going on right now, Lucas. Alara will understand.”
I wasn’t so sure about that. Alara had been planning this night for a while, hoping to reconnect with him, and now he was about to ball. But before I could say anything else, he surprised me with a request that threw me completely off guard.
“Why don’t you take her instead?”
I stared at him, completely taken aback. “What?”
“Take Alara to dinner. You know the place I booked. Just tell her something came up for me at work. She’ll appreciate the night out, even if I can’t be there.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Kaelen was asking me to step in, to take his wife out on their planned dinner date. It was the last thing I expected him to suggest, and it felt like crossing into dangerous territory. But then again, I couldn’t exactly say no. Alara deserved better than being stood up, and if Kaelen was determined not to go, at least I could make sure her night wasn’t ruined.
Reluctantly, I nodded. “Alright. I’ll take her.”
Kaelen clapped me on the shoulder, as if it was no big deal. “Thanks, man. I’ll make it up to
her later.”
He didn’t realize how much was already hanging between me and Alara, how fragile the line was that we were walking. But I kept my mouth shut and headed home, knowing that I’d be the one escorting her tonight.
When I arrived, Alara was already dressed, glowing with excitement. She looked stunning in her deep green dress, her hair swept to one side. When she saw me, her smile faltered for a second, confusion flickering across her face.
“Where’s Kaelen?” she asked, her voice uncertain.
I swallowed hard, feeling a pang of guilt. “He’s tied up with work. He asked me to take you instead.”
Her smile faded a little, but she quickly composed herself, nodding. “I see. Well, I guess we shouldn’t let the reservation go to waste.”
I could tell she was disappointed, but she didn’t let it show. We headed out to the restaurant, and the atmosphere between us was…tense. Too many things were left unsaid, too many feelings that neither of us knew how to handle.
Dinner was pleasant enough, though. We talked about light topics, keeping the conversation easy and casual. But every now and then, our eyes would meet across the table, and I’d feel
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that same pull-the one that had been haunting me since our kiss. I tried to shake it off, reminding myself that this was Kaelen’s wife, that this wasn’t right. But it didn’t make it any easier.
As the night went on, I found myself more and more drawn to her. The way she laughed, the way her eyes sparkled when she spoke-it was impossible not to notice. And as much as I hated to admit it, being here with her felt…good. Like we were supposed to be together, like this was how things were meant to be.
By the time we finished dinner and drove back home, the tension between us had reached a boiling point. Neither of us spoke much on the ride back, the air thick with unspoken words. When we arrived, I followed her inside, my heart pounding in my chest.
“Lucas…” she started, turning to face me in the living room. “Thank you for tonight. I know it wasn’t what we planned, but I… I had a good time.”
I couldn’t stop myself. I took a step closer to her, my gaze locked on hers. “Alara, I…”
She didn’t pull away. Instead, she closed the distance between us, her hand reaching up to touch my face. And that was it. That was all it took for me to lose control.
I kissed her.
This time, there was no hesitation, no guilt holding me back. I kissed her like I’d been starving for it, like I’d been holding back for far too long. And she kissed me back, just as desperate,
just as hungry.
We stumbled back toward her bedroom, clothes coming off piece by piece until we were tangled in the sheets. The world outside us faded away, and all that mattered was this moment, this feeling. It was reckless and wrong, but I couldn’t stop myself. I didn’t want to
stop.
For the first time in a long time, everything felt right. Even if it was only for one night. It ended up steamy and hot. Was it right? No. Am I going to stop? No.
What I wanted more than anything was to make Alara mine, whether she was married to Kaelen or not.
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
