Dancing with Desires.

The pounding on the door echoed through the apartment like a jackhammer.

Ryan groaned, yanking his blanket tighter around him. Who in the world had the audacity to bang at this ungodly hour? He rolled out of bed, hair sticking up like a wild porcupine, and shuffled toward the door, muttering curses under his breath.

When he yanked it open, he froze.

Standing there in a perfectly pressed shirt, with a perfect face_ the type that makes Lila go buncas, and smelling faintly of cologne, was Eugene, the annoyingly handsome guy Lila had been texting about.

“Good evening,” Eugene said smoothly. “I’m here to take Lila out to dinner.”

Ryan’s sleepy scowl sharpened instantly. “She’s not home.”

Eugene raised a brow. “Not home? That’s funny. I just spoke to her half an hour ago.”

Ryan’s jaw clenched. His sleepiness evaporated, replaced by fiery annoyance. “Well, maybe she, uh, teleported somewhere else since then.”

Eugene smirked knowingly. “You’re lying. Where is she, Ryan?”

Something in Ryan snapped. Without another word, he spun on his heel and stomped back inside. Eugene blinked, confused, until Ryan returned, dragging with him a massive wedding portrait in a glittery gold frame. In the picture, Ryan and Lila were smiling like lovestruck idiots, faces squished together under a shower of confetti.

Ryan held it up like a weapon. “Guess what? We got married! That’s right, married. So she’s my wife now. My wife. Which means, Eugene, you should probably find someone else to bother.”

Eugene’s jaw dropped. His eyes flicked from Ryan’s serious glare to the oversized photo, and for once, he had no smooth comeback. Shoulders slumping, he muttered something under his breath and walked away, defeated.

Ryan slammed the door shut with a satisfied grunt. He tossed the frame onto the couch and trudged back toward his room.

Lila, who had just stepped out of the bathroom with a towel in her hair, gave him a curious look. “Who was that?”

Ryan waved a hand dismissively. “No one important.” He flopped onto his bed, grabbed the nearest pillow, and buried his face in it. Within seconds, his soft snoring filled the room, leaving Lila staring in bewilderment.

Later into the night...

Lila sat on Ryan’s bed, arms crossed and lips pursed like a sulking child. Her heels dangled off the floor as she kicked them lazily, grumbling under her breath.

The bathroom door swung open, and Ryan stepped out with damp hair, wearing nothing but a dark robe loosely tied around his waist. He paused mid-step, one brow arching high at the sight of her expression.

“Well, well, someone looks like a grumpy kitten. What’s the matter, princess? Who dared to upset you this time?”

Lila shot him a glare. “Don’t call me princess. And it’s Eugene. He promised he’d come pick me up tonight, said we’d go out for dinner. But guess what...” she waved her hands dramatically, “...he bailed. Just like that. No calls, no texts. Nothing.”

Ryan chuckled under his breath as he strolled over to his closet, pulling out a crisp black shirt. “So what I’m hearing is... you’re upset because some guy didn’t keep his promise.” He slid his arms into the shirt, then threw her a sidelong glance. “Tell me, Lila, why are you wasting your frown lines on him when I’m right here?”

She sat up straighter, curious. “What do you mean by that?”

Buttoning his shirt with practiced ease, Ryan smirked. “I mean, if you want to go out, don’t worry about Eugene or whoever-he-is. I’ll take you wherever you want. Or...” his voice dipped playfully, “...you could just tag along. What do you say?”

Suspicion filled her eyes. “Where exactly are you going? And if you dare say it’s the club_”

“You got it.” He winked. “The club. But there’s a tiny issue...” He tugged his collar loose around his neck for effect. “I don’t usually like my wife being in places like that.”

“Shut. Up.” She threw a pillow at him, rolling her eyes so hard they nearly hit the ceiling. “I’m not your wife, you annoying clown.”

“Denial, thy name is Layla West,” Ryan teased, catching the pillow mid-air and tossing it back.

But when she stood up with a determined huff and declared, “Fine. Give me ten minutes. I’m changing,” his smirk slipped into something softer, something dangerously close to pride.

Later that night, with Ryan’s arm draped lazily but possessively around her shoulders, the two walked into the club like they owned it. Lila’s eyes widened at the pulsing lights, the glittering chandeliers, the crowd swaying like a living sea.

Her jaw dropped. “Oh my God. This is what you’ve been sneaking off to do? And you never brought me?!”

Ryan chuckled. “Correction, I wasn’t sneaking. And I didn’t bring you because... well, look at you.”

But before he could finish, Lila was already squealing and dashing straight for the dance floor. She melted into the music instantly, hips swaying, hair flying, laughter spilling from her lips. Heads turned. Whistles filled the air.

And then, trouble. A couple of guys spotted her glow and sidled closer, moving with her, their hands hovering too near, bodies brushing too close.

Ryan, meanwhile, sat sprawled in the VIP section like a king, a girl draped over him, whispering in his ear, her manicured hands trailing down his arm. He let her exist there until...

His eyes caught Lila.

The laughter, the sparkle, the careless charm of her, wrapped in the heat of strangers. Something inside him snapped.

With one sharp move, Ryan shoved the girl beside him away, ignoring her startled gasp, and stalked to the dance floor. His jaw was clenched, eyes blazing. He shoved the guys back with enough force to make them stumble.

“Back. Off.” His voice carried the kind of weight that made people think twice.

One guy straightened, ready to retort, but the second guy leaned in with a low warning, “You don’t want trouble with him. Trust me.”

The guys muttered curses and backed away.

Ryan slid into Lila’s space like he belonged there, hands gripping her waist firmly, pulling her against him.

She blinked, caught off guard. “Ryan? What are you doing?”

“What does it look like? Saving my wife from making poor dance partner choices. Do you remember how we used to be dance partners when we were younger? No one can ever fit you in anything better than me okay”

Her cheeks flushed, but before she could argue, the beat dropped. Her body naturally leaned into his, hips brushing his, and the air between them crackled.

It started as dancing, playful and teasing. But soon, with her arms thrown around his neck and her laughter ringing in his ear, Ryan felt his self-control slipping. His grip tightened at her waist as she moved against him, and he swallowed hard, looking away for just a moment, trying to distract himself.

Then she threw her head back, laughing so freely, so beautifully, her face lit with pure joy.

And Ryan froze. Time stopped. The music, the lights, the crowd, it all disappeared. There was only her.

His heart clenched painfully as the thought pierced him: God, I’ve never seen anything more beautiful.

Ryan couldn’t believe how devastatingly beautiful Lila looked under the neon lights, her face glowing with happiness, her laughter carrying over the thundering music like the sweetest melody he’d ever heard. Her hair bounced with her movements, her body swayed in perfect rhythm, and her carefree joy struck something deep in his chest.

He was captivated, helplessly, utterly captivated.

Every man’s eyes in the room were glued to her, but only he had her this close, her warmth pressed against him as she danced freely, oblivious to how much power she had over him. Ryan’s hand tightened slightly around her waist, his pulse racing faster than the beat of the bass.

And then, without even realizing it, his lips brushed against hers. It was quick, unplanned, just a graze.

Lila froze. Her wide eyes lifted to his, startled, shocked, as if the whole world had gone silent around them. For a moment, neither of them moved, locked in that magnetic pull that neither had the strength to break. People swayed and danced around them, but it felt like the two of them were standing still in the middle of chaos, staring into each other’s souls.

Ryan’s throat bobbed as he leaned in closer, unable to stop himself. His voice was lost in the music, but his intent was clear as his lips finally captured hers in a kiss.

Gentle. So tender.

Lila’s breath hitched sharply, her lashes fluttered, and then, helpless against the way he kissed her, her eyes drifted shut.

His lips moved slowly, savoring the softness of hers, pouring every unspoken word he had buried for years into that delicate kiss. It wasn’t rushed, it wasn’t lustful, it was aching, consuming tenderness that shook him to the core.

Ryan had kissed countless women before, but never like this. Never with trembling hands, never with a heart hammering like it might burst, never with the fear that once he pulled away, he might never see the opportunity to kiss her again.

And Lila, though she knew she should pull back, though her mind screamed at her to stop, her body betrayed her. She stayed, letting herself drown in the sweetness, the impossibility, the danger of this kiss.

Because Lila had a secret. A dangerous, fragile secret.

Deep within her heart, locked away where no one could see... She Loved Ryan...

Hush...! It was a secret she would never dare admit, not even to herself.

After what felt like forever, an eternity wrapped up in a single kiss, Ryan finally pulled back. His breath brushed against her skin as he studied her, his gaze lingering on her flushed cheeks and her lips, swollen and glistening from his kiss.

A wicked grin tugged at his mouth.

“Look at you, Lila. If anyone sees you right now, they might actually think you want me.”

Her cheeks burned hotter. She puffed them in protest, pouting adorably as she shoved him away with both hands. She harrumphed. Her expression, half-angry, half-embarrassed.

She turned to leave, but Ryan’s hand caught her wrist almost instantly. With a firm tug, he pulled her back into his arms, his hold strong and inescapable. His chest pressed against her back as he leaned down, his lips dangerously close to her ear.

“Don’t take it personal,” he whispered, his voice low and teasing, “I’m just teaching you how to kiss.”

Her breath hitched. His arms remained around her waist, holding her close, refusing to let her go. The music surged, and Ryan moved with it as if nothing had happened, his body swaying, his expression maddeningly carefree.

Lila scoffed, crossing her arms as though she wasn’t affected. But her body betrayed her, her heart was hammering against her ribcage, so loud she was sure he could hear it. After a moment, unable to resist, she gave in and resumed dancing, though carefully avoiding Ryan’s gaze.

Her lips pressed together as she fought the storm inside.

Oh God, why am I suddenly feeling this way around Ryan?

Ryan kept his grin, kept the teasing glint in his eyes, but inside... inside he was crumbling.

The taste of her lips still lingered on his mouth, maddening and sweet, like something he’d never be able to forget. He hadn’t planned it. God, he hadn’t meant to cross that line. One second she was laughing, dancing, glowing like she owned the whole room, and the next... his lips were on hers.

And now he was ruined.

What the hell did I just do? he thought, tightening his grip on her waist just a little, afraid that if he let go, she’d slip away forever.

He could still feel the tiny shiver that had run through her body when he kissed her, could still see the way her eyes had widened in shock before fluttering closed.

She had kissed him back.

Maybe only for a second, maybe by accident, but she had. And that second was enough to unravel every wall he’d built to keep his feelings hidden.

He leaned closer, pretending to whisper another joke just to hide the truth in his eyes.

Because if she saw it, if Lila caught even a glimpse of the storm raging inside him, he’d lose the fragile balance they had.

So he smirked, let his tone drip with mockery, and said, “See? Not so bad when your teacher’s me.”

But behind the mask, his heart was pounding just as wildly as hers.

Damn it, Lila... if only you knew how long I’ve wanted that kiss.