Chapter 903: Love of My Life
Grant’s shirt was nearly soaked through with her tears by the time Innocensa finally regained her composure and stepped back, her breathing uneven but steadier. Her hands, however, remained firmly planted on his shoulders, her nails digging into his skin as if anchoring herself in the moment. The faint sting barely registered in his mind, a trivial discomfort overshadowed by the way she looked up at him with a trembling, hesitant smile.
He couldn’t help but marvel. How could someone be so heartbreakingly beautiful, even like this? Her swollen eyes glistened with remnants of tears, her nose reddened from crying, and yet, in her vulnerability, she radiated a kind of fragile grace that took his breath away. She was, without question, the most beautiful girl he had ever seen.
"Sorry for the waterworks," she said shakily though her voice was tinged with a hint of humor. A faint blush crept up her cheeks, making her even more prettier, "And thank you for lending me your shoulder. I didn’t mean to... do this. I... I thought this office would be empty and I’d have a chance to be alone...I just... Thank you again for letting me cry it all out and not trying to pacify me."
Grant shrugged. He would have had no idea how to pacify anyone. And what was he even supposed to say when he did not even know the reason for crying.
***
Innocensa looked up into the man’s hazel eyes and felt her heart beat faster. Grant was a jerk. She’d come to know that much in the last week while working with him. Either that or he didn’t like her. But now, this jerk was the one who had consoled her.
As her gaze met his, something else seemed to light up between them. She, who had never taken the initiative, leaned up on her tiptoes and pressed a kiss to his thin lips.
She felt him stiffen in shock or surprise and it was then that she realized what she had done. Did she just kiss someone... just like that?
As the realization of what she’d just done crashed over her, Innocensa’s eyes widened in panic. She began to step back, her hands dropping away from his shoulders, but before she could retreat, Grant’s hands moved swiftly, pulling her body closer to him as his hands settled over her hips, holding her in place and then pulling her closer.
She could feel the warmth of his palms through the fabric of her dress, sending shivers of need down her spine.
Then, before she could process what was happening, he tilted his head, broke the kiss and then leaned in to capture her lips once more. This time, the kiss was deliberate, unrestrained, and undeniably hotter.
His tongue licked her lips before invading her mouth and she could only suck on it, wanting and needing more. His lips moved against hers alternatively tender and then aggressive, as though he was discovering something he hadn’t expected to find. Innocensa’s breath hitched, her hands instinctively found their way back to his chest, clutching his shirt as she leaned even closer to him.