Clark's POV

My pulse hasn't slowed much since that kiss in the hallway with Elias. Our second kiss.

The biggest difference between the first and this one is that we weren't performing for a crowd. It was just us.

We kissed because we wanted to, and not because we had to.

It took me a while to recall afterward that we've mostly been on the same page with things. But that one there, that kiss we clearly both desired, could've opened a whole new can of worms if we had gone further.

I don't know about him, but I've been wide awake, tossing and turning in bed ever since. The memory of his lips moving against mine, the feel of his fingers tugging my hair as his body sang for me...All of it refuses to let me drift into sleep.

No matter how many times I close my eyes and plead for my mind to power down, I still see him—us—doing the one thing we shouldn't be doing since we're technically not working. Off-script kissing can lead to so much more. It can stir up feelings that neither of us can afford to entertain, which is why it can't happen again.

Yeah, but how many times have you said that and done the opposite right after?

"Fuck this."

With a sigh, I give up on sleep and climb out of bed. I pull on my shorts and head downstairs to the garage to check on the one being I have a somewhat solid relationship with that I can't possibly destroy.

At least someone is getting proper rest around here. A smile tugs at my lips when I find the cat curled up fast asleep in the plush bed I couldn't resist buying her.

I don't know who I'm fooling anymore. Despite my claim about not being ready for such responsibility, in truth, I've been taking care of the sneaky little creature ever since she wandered her way onto my property. Maybe I should eat my words and give her a damn name already.

I bet Elias would come up with something fitting—damn it! No. I shouldn't be thinking about him. What the hell is wrong with me?

Go work it off in the gym. Now that's a good idea. I'll go hard and tire myself out, then hopefully, sleep will be kind enough to find its way back to me.

As I turn to shut off the lights, they flicker and die, plunging the garage into darkness. Shit. The storm just knocked the power out. And of course I never bothered to buy a generator.

"Can it get any worse?" I mutter, fumbling around in the dark until I find a flashlight.

With a last glance at the sleeping cat, I make my way back inside to check on Elias.

The house creaks and groans under the assault of the straight-line winds, and another thunderclap rattles the windows by the time I reach the hallway. With all this noise going on, there's no way Elias is still asleep. Shit, what if he is? What if he doesn't want to be bothered after what we did?

I hesitate after stopping at his door, my hand hovering inches from the wooden surface. Maybe I should go. This is taking it too far. He's a grown man, so I'm sure he's fine.

Stop being a coward and see if he's okay.

I don't even know why I'm so fucking nervous all of a sudden. I raise my hand again to knock, but his door swings open, and we're suddenly face to face.

Fuck, why does he have to look this good?

His brown eyes are wide with emotions I can't decipher.

For a heartbeat, neither of us speaks.

"Are you okay?" We blurt out simultaneously, then laugh. "Go ahead," I prompt, stepping closer to hear him better.

"It sounded like the storm was getting worse, so I got up to check on the cat."

"That's cute of you," I blurt out. His brow lifts in response and he smirks. Heat instantly floods my face from being too lax with him. "I, uh, meant to say I just got back from doing that."

"How is she?"

"I'm happy to report she's fast asleep. Unlike us."

"Right. Fits her personality," Elias laughs, though it's tinged with nervous energy. "So, you've been up this whole time, too?"

I nod, then get serious. "Before we pretend like nothing happened, I have to say...about the kiss earlier—"

"I wanted it," he says bluntly, his eyes locking onto mine. "Don't apologize if that's where you were going."

His candidness is both frustrating and a turn on.

"I wanted it, too. But we're not playing pretend here where it's just us," I respond with another step forward, my voice steady even as my adrenaline spikes. "So it never should've happened, right?"

"No, it shouldn't have." He pauses. "But it did."

"Then where do we go from here? Because something tells me that, as much as we don't want it to happen, it's more than likely going to happen again whether we're out in public or alone. So now what?"

Elias remains silent for a moment, but his gaze never wavers from mine. "I've been doing a lot of thinking."

Oh no. That could be good or bad. "And?"

"And...only for tonight, I think we should forget about our contract."

I blink, confused. "What exactly are you saying?"

"It's obvious we're sexually attracted to each other, Clark. We need to address it to move on. So I think we should do whatever is necessary to get this—" He waves a hand between us, referring to the invisible pull we're evidently both aware of. "—out of our system once and for all. Then we can return to playing pretend. It's the only solution I can think of."

My thoughts spiral. Is he serious right now?

Did he really suggest we hook up to help get our emotions back in check? Could we actually do that and walk away unscathed? But what if once isn't enough for him? And what if I end up needing more? What if we...

"Do you have a better suggestion?" Elias asks, breaking my trance. "I'm all ears."

He sounds confident with his choice, which means his mind is already made up. And so is mine. I take a deep breath, deciding the reward far outweighs the risk.

"Let's go with your suggestion." Impulsively, I drop the flashlight and close the remaining space between us.

My hands are on either side of his face in an instant, pulling him into a deep kiss that only moments prior I had finished telling myself we couldn't have. But fuck it. This is what I want, what we both want, and for tonight only...we've given ourselves permission to break the rules.

And, God willing, I plan to break every single one.

"You didn't even put up a fight with yourself," Elias chuckles against my lips. "You immediately gave in."

"Don't tease me," I murmur a playful warning.

Guided by just enough moonlight trickling in through the curtains on the window, Elias and I stumble our way onto his bed. He pants softly beneath me, and my hands shake slightly from excitement and impatience as they strip away the barriers of fabric between us.

When we're down to just our underwear, I pause at the feel of his hands pressing against my chest.

"Do you want me to stop?" I ask, concerned he's already having second thoughts.

"Hell no. I just want to make sure you keep in mind this is a one-time thing." His hands move lower, lower, and I barely hold back a moan when one of them slips inside my boxer briefs. "Say it back so I know you hear me."

Through the darkness, I can nearly see his full lips curve into a sexy smile as he begins to stroke me.

"I hear you." I bend down and kiss his neck. "It's just a one-time thing."

"Good boy."

"Smartass," I smirk, then kiss my way along the column of his neck, savoring the heat and taste of his skin as I mark him with every suck and nip. His sharp intake of breath and the occasional scratch on my back are my rewards.

When I shift lower to toy with his nipples, eliciting moans that vibrate through the both of us, it's almost like striking a chord that changes my entire DNA. Every inch of me is set on fire, and having Elias come is the only solution for putting it out.

"Tell me how you like it," I whisper against his belly button, my hand slipping between his muscular legs to gently cup and massage him. He's large, hard, and I ache for a taste. "I want to make it good for you."

The thunder outside is nothing compared to the sound of his ragged breathing. "I promise I'm not picky," he pants, fingers threading through my hair and tugging softly. "We just can't have sex. That would be..."

"Too much," I finish for him, understanding completely.

I don't waste another second dwelling on what we can't do and instead, focus on the multiple things we can do.

I tap his hip and he lifts for me, allowing me to slip his underwear off. I toss it somewhere on the floor, my mouth watering as I lick my palm before wrapping it around his erection. I stroke him slowly while placing gentle kisses along the insides of his thighs.

"Clark..." His voice is barely there, nothing but a thread of sound mixing with the thunder as my thumb rolls over his leaking slit, smearing the precum like its lube. "Oh, fuck. Please..."

Lightning flickers, briefly illuminating his face, which is twisted in pleasure. A sight I burn into memory.

"If you don't like something, tell me." His thighs tremble when I finally take him into my mouth, my own arousal throbbing in time with his. I relax my throat as he loses himself to the act, his hips bucking into my mouth as he roughly runs his fingers through my hair, guiding me.

"Clark!"

I hum around him in response, encouraging him to come whenever he's ready. But he holds out for as long as he can, his free hand frantically gripping at the sheets.

Listen to him falling apart and acknowledge how greedy you are. One night will never be enough.

But it will have to be.

The taste of him drives me wild in a way I wasn't expecting. I suck him with fervor, taking him in deep, then releasing him to repeat the action again and again. I relish each desperate sound he makes, each whimper of my name as his body twitches on the bed.

"Clark," he groans. "Need you up here. Now, por favor."

I release him and quickly move to hover over him, teasingly asking, "Was I not doing a good job?"

"You were perfect." He smiles lazily, licking his lips before kissing me again. "But I don't want to come in your mouth. I want to come with you."

"I want whatever you want." And that isn't a lie. If he told me to go outside and run around this house naked, I'd do it in a heartbeat. I'm completely under his spell.

"It's so fucking hot how eager you are to please me."

Before I can respond, he flips us over so swiftly that the world spins for a moment. Straddling me, he pulls my cock free and holds our erections together.

"Help me?" He nips at my bottom lip. "Please?"

"Yes." I place my hand over his, and together we find a rhythm as we stroke ourselves. It's wet and clumsy and desperate, but perfect at the same time. "Fuck," I mutter, my free hand tightening on his hip to steady him as he starts to rock. "Elias..."

"Clark," he whispers back, his forehead resting against mine, sharing breath and heat. "Kiss me."

I oblige, and I swear each kiss sears through me, each touch igniting a new sensation I've never felt before.

Our movements become frenzied as we chase the edge together.

The world soon narrows down to this single point of contact, to the sound of our synchronized moans and the feeling of our approaching orgasm. When it hits, it's like a dam breaking. The highest form of ecstasy washes over us in waves that drown out the storm, the doubts, the rules—everything except this moment.

I swear I've never felt more at peace.

"Jesus Christ," he pants, resting his full weight against me. "That was...y-you were..."

"Yeah," I laugh, tired. "I know."

The tremors coursing through his body mirror my own. We stay connected through it all, passing gentle kisses back and forth until our mess can no longer be ignored.

"Bathroom?" I suggest.

"Yes, but I can't feel my legs." Elias laughs, the sound light and carefree.

"I'll help you change these later." I swipe my wet hand on the bedsheets before scooping him up. He helps grab the flashlight in passing as we make our way into my bedroom, and then the bathroom. "Shower or bath?" I ask, setting him gently on his feet.

"Neither?" He laughs, playfully nudging me. "It's still storming outside. Or are you purposely trying to get us killed?"

"Not at all." I shake my head, laughing with him. "I think my brain is still offline. Sorry."

I grab two rags and run them under hot water in the sink, and then hand one to Elias. We clean up as best we can, the silence between us more comfortable than awkward. Once we finish, I offer him the empty spot in my bed since his still needs cleaning.

By a miracle, he doesn't reject me, and all too eagerly makes his way underneath the covers. I assume he also wants to play in our delusion for a little while longer.

Regardless, I join him with a smile that I can't seem to get rid of.

"You know we go back to normal as soon as the morning comes, right?" He snuggles closer to me, one hand innocently wandering up my chest.

Us going back to "normal" is the last thing I want to think about right now.

More than anything, I wish we didn't have a damn contract. I wish we had met by chance and had let things happen naturally. I wish I could give my heart what it wants—true companionship. And perhaps, one day, love.

But I don't see how any of that can ever happen when Ashford Technologies holds that number one spot.

"I know," I reply, keeping my tone even while my fingers trace made up patterns on his lower back. "The more we talk about it, the quicker it'll get here, so let's change the subject."

"Okay." Elias moves his head to rest against my chest. "I don't want things to get weird between us now that we've...done what we did."

"They won't get weird."

"Well, in that case..." His hand on my chest travels lower, igniting a brand new fire within me. "Can we do it again?"

I can't help but laugh. "What happened to it being a one-time thing?"

"That applies to this night, not the act itself." He presses a kiss to my temple, then my cheeks, and finally, my lips. "I thought I was clear."

When his hand wraps around me, I moan, all remaining sense vanishing as I pull him on top of me. "You are now."