Chapter 29 The Kiss
Maurice switched off the main lights, leaving only the soft glow of the bedside lamp. He sat at the edge of the bed, his gaze fixed on Iliana.
Amber light washed over her profile, casting delicate shadows beneath her long, curled lashes. She looked like a porcelain doll, fragile and ethereal.
Maurice watched her silently, his eyes darkening with unreadable intensity.
Suddenly, Iliana shifted uncomfortably. Her eyes remained shut as she stirred, her small hands reaching out blindly before her.
Then her fingertips brushed against warmth, and instinctively, she leaned into it.
Curling up like a drowsy cat, she nestled her cheek against Maurice’s thigh.
Meanwhile, Maurice’s hands were captive in hers as she slowly threaded her fingers through his, their palms pressing together in a gesture so intimate that it crackled the air.
Maurice lowered his head, his expression coolly detached, yet beneath the surface smoldered a restrained intensity.
Iliana’s warm breath ghosted over a sensitive part of his body. He frowned faintly.
A moment later, Maurice lifted her gently, one hand cradling her head as he laid her back against the pillow.
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Wouchers
Chapter 29 The Kiss
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“Don’t go.”
The plea slipped from Iliana’s lips as she tugged sharply at his wrist.
The sudden motion pulled him down, and he barely caught himself, palms slamming against the mattress on either side of her shoulders.
Now their faces hovered dangerously close, a mere tilt of his head from claiming her lips.
Their breaths tangled in the charged space between them, her faint floral scent mingling with the sharp tang of alcohol.
Maurice’s brow furrowed slightly.
He was drunk now too–not from wine, but from her.
A soft whimper escaped Iliana as her lashes fluttered open.
Maurice’s face swam into her bleary vision. Her lips curved into a drowsy smile. “Mr. Andrade,” she slurred, “you’re… really handsome.”
Iliana simply dismissed it as a drunken dream. After all, she’d been interacting with Maurice so much lately. No wonder he’d invaded her
subconscious.
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If this was just a drunken fantasy, Iliana decided, why hold back?
No one would know that.
Drunken audacity surged through her veins. She tilted her head slightly and pressed her crimson lips to Maurice’s.
She gently licked his lips, her delicate face flushing an even deeper shade of red.
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Chapter 29 The Kiss
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Bang!
It was as if something detonated inside Maurice’s skull.
He studied her closely, trying to gauge how much of her boldness came from the alcohol.
But Iliana only blinked up at him with eyes half–closed, a tipsy smile playing on her lips as she carelessly kissed him, her movements drowsy yet undeniably alluring.
Maurice leaned in, his large hand gripping her slender waist while the other cupped her face. He took command of the moment and deepened the kiss, savoring the sweet fragrance from her lips.
The room ignited, the air thick with unspoken tension.
Beneath him, Iliana melted into liquid heat. Soft whimpers escaped her lips as her beautiful face flushed crimson.
Maurice’s eyes darkened with restrained hunger as his hand slipped under her shirt, his cool fingertips brushing against her searing skin. Iliana shuddered at the contact.
The moment he felt her tremble, he jerked back abruptly. Releasing her lips, he buried his face in the crook of her shoulder, his breathing uneven and shallow.
Enough.
This had to stop.
He couldn’t let this go any further.
Maurice straightened the clothes he’d rumpled, tucking the duvet around her shoulders before retreating to the bathroom for a shower.
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The next morning, before Iliana fully opened her eyes, a deep voice vibrated against her temple.
“Remember what happened last night?”
Maurice’s hand rested on Iliana’s waist as they lay facing each other. The distance between them was practically nonexistent.
Iliana’s nails dug into her own thigh.
It hurt.
This wasn’t a dream!
Her fragmented memories flickered–Maurice’s face hovering above hers in the lamplight, her own drunken audacity as she’d given in to impulse and kissed him.
Everything after blurred into nothingness.
Her pupils constricted. The dull ache in her temples throbbed with renewed intensity.
Still stiff in his arms, she swallowed hard. “Did we… actually…?”
“Hmm.” His lips quirked, and his voice dipped in a deliberate ambiguity. “Exactly what you’re thinking.”
The non–answer confirmed her worst fears. They’d slept together.
Drunken indiscretion indeed.
Iliana pulled away from his arms and looked up. Maurice met her gaze head–on, his expression uncharacteristically earnest.
Her mind blanked.
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Chapter 29 The Kiss
How did people usually handle situations like this?
Truth be told, she had zero experience.
Five years with Bryson had never crossed beyond fleeting embraces and chaste kisses.
Yet here she was, tangled in sheets with his sworn rival,
Maurice watched the serious crease form between her brows. A flicker of mockery lit his eyes. “No intention of taking responsibility, then?”
His tone was deliberately light, as if discussing a trivial errand rather than the night they’d shared.
The nonchalance unnerved her. She couldn’t decipher his true thoughts.
For Iliana, the weight of last night’s mistake pressed like an anvil.
In mere hours, she’d board the flight back to Baycastle. By tomorrow, she might be standing at a registry office signing marriage documents. There was no way she could take responsibility for him. Unlike Bryson who’d mastered the art of keeping multiple strings attached, she refused to play that game.
“Mr. Andrade.” She said finally, turning her face away to hide her flustered panic, “We’re both adults. What happened was… natural. No one’s at a loss here.”
No loss?
The humor drained from Maurice’s expression.
She should count herself lucky that it was him last night. ***
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Chapter 29 The Kiss
Had it been any other man, seeing her intoxicating state, they wouldn’t have stopped at kisses.
What a silly woman!
Maurice rose with fluid grace, buttoning his shirt with elegance. Each movement was precise and unhurried.
“In such matters,” he said, “I hold traditional values.”
A nervous tic pulsed beneath Iliana’s eyelid. If only she hadn’t gone into that pub last night.
Now she’d left her neighbor with the impression of a hit–and–run lover.
What’s more, their families‘ business cooperation meant unavoidable future encounters. If they met again back in Baycastle, how awkward it
would be!
She needed to clarify things with him first.
“Mr. Andrade, I’m not irresponsible. It’s just my family…”
Before she could finish. Maurice cut her off.
A smile played on his lips. “As you said, you’re responsible. Think carefully before you tell me how you’ll take the responsibility.”
With that, he left the room.
Outside the door, Maurice’s gaze dropped, his fingertips absently rubbing together as he muttered, his voice low and melodious, “Pathetically easy.”
No wonder Bryson had strung her along for five years.
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Chapter 29 The Kiss
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Back in the room, Iliana sat still on the bed, calming herself down. After a while, she sprang up and began washing and changing.
Thankfully, she’d be leaving Whiteville soon. Even if they met again in Baycastle, it would be ages before that awkwardness resurfaced.
Since she was destined to play the villainess, it was best to make a strategic retreat.
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