THIS IS...BRAD

KIRA

It seemed that even the snow had stopped at his untimely arrival.

“What are you...” I was struggling to get a few words out.

Also, I struggled to stand up. I wasn’t even aware of a car coming up. Though nothing could stop my pulse from thumping as I realized how harsh his stare was as he glared at me from beneath a mess of dark hair, even though I had seen him arrive.

I swallowed hard and tried again. “What are you doing here?”

As he murmured his response, a muscle in his jaw tightened.

“We must speak.”

Although we had nothing to discuss, I didn’t want to admit it in front of my family.

My brother came near, kicking snow in all places as I struggled with what to say next. This was getting out of hand.

“Are you going to introduce us, Kira?”

I wanted to, but what was I going to say?

Yes, of course, why not? This was the boss we had previously insulted. He simply followed me across an enormous distance to inform me I failed to leave appropriately. Any diplomatic way of expressing the same reality I couldn’t come up with. Instead, the most random lie came out of my mouth.

“This is… Brad.”

The look in my brother’s eyes was radiant.

“Brad?”

My stomach twitched uncomfortably. Oh no! There was no good outcome in this.

Consider your words, Kira.

Gabriel scowled even more.

“Pardon me?”

Unaware of how stiffened he had become, my brother gripped his arm.

“Mom will be overjoyed to finally meet Kira’s fiancé,” said Joe.

The atmosphere had become unbearable and I could hardly breathe.

“Wait a minute, Joe...” I said, still swallowing hard.

“Why should we wait, Kira? It’s probably time I met your family since I’m... your fiancé, don’t you think?”

GABRIEL

This was going to be funny. Kira told her family I was her fiancé? When did she have time to say that?

The most important question was when we would be alone to ask her what her family kept talking about?

I would accept whatever they said until we had that minute to ourselves. Brad? Yes, I could pass for Brad.

I had come so far to ask her something I could have asked her on the phone. My God, why didn’t I do this from London?

“It’s an honor to meet you, my dear Brad!” said Kira’s mother, coming closer.

“The honor is mine... I guess...” I replied in a lower tone. I was still trying to understand Kira’s lie.

“Dad?” Kira asked.

Time halted as the color rose to her cheeks.

Although I had some reservations about my young copywriter’s predisposition for hasty behavior, I decided not to further humiliate her because I could sense her entire family observing us.

We would solve our problems later.

“Let’s not keep the man out here in the cold, my dear. He’s probably freezing and hungry. Am I right, Brad?” her father asked, fixing his gaze on me.

“Brad is probably tired and wants to rest. Isn’t it... honey?”

Coming from her mouth, the nickname sounded challenging. Especially after what happened between us. But I wasn’t about to let a spoiled woman dictate my schedule. If she wanted me to be Brad, her fiancé, then that’s what I’d be.

Without expecting it, I pulled her close to me and placed a passionate kiss on her lips. Her body shuddered at my touch and a brief moan escaped her mouth.

“My dear, your father is right. The journey here has indeed tired me, but it has also made me hungry and thirsty. So I will not turn down a good meal and why not a hot chocolate if you have some,” I said with a satisfied smile.

“You’re in luck, brother-in-law!” her brother probably spoke. “They say I make the most delicious white caramel chocolate. What do you say? Does it work?”

“What are we waiting for? Let’s go inside... dear family!”

Everything went smoothly and courteously. I made up dozens of stories, how we met, how we fell in love and many other old-fashioned things for a hopelessly in love couple.

Kira was up to the task and not only approved of everything but also filled in my stories as if it really happened. That was until we retreated to her bedroom and she closed the door behind her.

She slapped me on the chest and yelled.

“What are you doing here?”

I caught on her wrist and took pleasure in how her eyes grew wide and her breath grew ragged.

“Let me go!”

“Are you serious? Let you go. You should be in the office getting ready for the upcoming ad.”

“And you? You should be out on business, not here displaying yourself in front of my family and basically wrecking my world as if...”

I grinned at her.

“As if I were your boyfriend? Because I’m rather certain you caused that to happen. Where did that come from?” I yelled.

“I guess I couldn’t precisely introduce you as my boss.”

“Your asshole boss, to be more exact,” I added in a sarcastic tone.

I then noticed a change in her expression. It seemed to just explode after she had been holding it in.

“Well, I just told them I quit my job! And they all said I should have done it months ago since you didn’t appreciate me at all and you’re a goddamn workaholic.” She yelled with displeasure.

She stared at me as if I were a demon, which wasn’t unexpected given what she had just said and the rage she had expressed in the letter that I discovered waiting for me when I arrived at work this morning.

None of that diminished my desire to kiss her. It was almost too much for me to bear.

She had absolutely no idea how much I cherished her.

“Obviously, there is a lot to talk about”

“You and I have nothing to talk about”

She hissed and yanked her wrist free of my hold before pushing back against me. As if that would stop me since this was the closest we’ve ever been since... and all I’ve ever wanted was for her hands to be on my body and mine to be on hers.

Last night was all too real. Too many drinks and it almost happened. Not that I wouldn’t have liked it, but I wouldn’t have wanted it that way. She deserved better. And that’s certainly not why she was angry.

I took pleasure in seizing her arm once more and holding it to the wall. In truth, I found it far too pleasurable. She would realize at any moment how much I desired her if I wasn’t cautious.

“If you punch me once more, I’ll take you over my lap to discipline you. I’m on the verge of doing it anyhow as retaliation for your awful brief note of rage you left me on my desk”

“You mean my letter of resignation?” she made an angry noise. I was angry too.

I leaned in, and every little detail burned itself into my memory. Her smooth mouth, ravishing fragrance, and hostile stare. The beautiful bouncing of her body against mine.

“You are not permitted to resign the way you did.” I cautiously said. I forbade her from leaving at all, but I would take things one at a time. “It would be more accurate to state that you were trying to get my attention with a spectacle like that since you don’t actually want to, in my opinion”

I got even closer. It was another chance to absorb her wonderful smell.

She sat still in front of me, panting.

“It’s not a whim. I just don’t want to work for you anymore. Is that so hard to understand?”

“Well yes. It is. I wonder why? Because you tremble every time I get close?” I said in a low voice and moved forward another inch. “Because your body betrays you when you feel my breath close to your skin? Or maybe because last night things didn’t go the way you wanted?”

That very second, she slapped my cheek with all of her might. The imprint and scent of her palm lingered on my face.

“Say that again and I will scream so hard that all Hollow Peak would burst through that door, making you regret coming here”