The air crackled with unspoken tension. I warned myself to breathe, to not stare, but his presence was a gravitational pull.
“I don’t get it!” I called out, hurrying to match his pace. He moved with an effortless grace that mocked my own breathless struggle.
“You don’t *need* to get it,” he snapped, his voice rough, untouched by the exertion of our twenty-minute jog. My lungs burned, each inhale a ragged plea for oxygen.
“Why are you so hellbent on finding out who kissed you at Trevor’s party?” The question tumbled out, laced with frustration.
He didn't respond, his jaw tight.
“It was just a kiss!” I tried again, desperation creeping into my voice. He stopped abruptly, turning with a swift, predatory motion. The shadow of his jawline darkened his expression. I swallowed, my throat suddenly dry.
“Just a kiss?” he whispered, his voice laced with a dangerous edge. I nodded, hesitantly, praying he wouldn't notice my trembling hands.
“JUST A KISS?!” He loomed over me, his built frame casting me into shadow. Forehead to forehead, noses brushing… disappointingly, not mouths. I licked my lips, a nervous habit I couldn't suppress.
He glanced down, then away, his knuckles white as he clenched into fists.
“Just a kiss,” I confirmed, my voice barely a murmur. His gaze locked on mine, blazing with an intensity that made my pulse hammer against my ribs.
“No, it was not just a kiss! Maybe for *her*, but not for me.”
“Why not?” I pressed, needing to understand the storm brewing in his eyes.
“BECAUSE SHE STOLE MY FIRST KISS!”
The words ripped through me like a physical blow. I gasped, stumbling backward, my mind reeling.
He traced a finger across his lips, a slow, deliberate gesture before turning and storming away.
This time, I didn’t follow. I was frozen, a single thought echoing in the chaos of my mind: *I accidentally stole the bad boy’s first kiss.*
***
Addalynn Reina believed she was ordinary, a comfortable delusion she clung to. She had everything: wealth, loving parents, a fiercely loyal best friend.
Dancing was her sanctuary, a vibrant expression of her soul. She radiated warmth and passion, a magnet for anyone who craved her light.
Unfortunately, Asher King, her long-time crush and infuriatingly aloof neighbor, couldn’t even muster a polite greeting – let alone a glance.
That changed the night she impulsively smashed her lips against his, a reckless act born of desperation and too much champagne.
Now, he wants her help to unmask the culprit in exchange for her silence. A dangerous bargain, considering she holds the biggest secret of all.
But how can Addalynn help him catch the thief when she *is* the thief?