"I’ll die at this rate if we don’t… you know… 'do something'" he whispered, his voice dropping lower, his lips brushing dangerously close to hers.

Marianne froze, her pulse racing at his audacity. Wasn’t it too soon for this? They hadn’t properly reconciled—at least, not in her mind. Or was she the only one unaware that they had?

Her eyes narrowed slightly, but she didn’t pull away.

"Alex," she warned, her tone sharp, yet betraying the flutter of uncertainty in her chest.

But Alexander closed the gap, capturing her lips in a soft, lingering kiss. For a moment, Marianne stayed perfectly still, her mind racing. Then, against her better judgment,...