Chapter 20: The Kiss
***Vanessa’s POV***
In the soft sound of the elevator as I approached Sergie's office, I held the last sketch in my hand. In the stillness of Ivanov Designs' halls, in the dead of night, the quiet hours seemed amplified tenfold by the soft thump of my heels on the polished floor. I could sense a tightness in my abdomen, but I didn't know why.
I stood for a moment at the door to Sergie's office, verifying the notes in my arms more than once. My sketch—a gown with fine lines and rich ornamentation—was carefully penciled; however, the question of color remained. I had decided to ask Sergie for his opinion.
Hesitantly, I opened the door just as I heard his rich voice say, “Come in.”
He was seated at his desk, the neck of his black shirt open, revealing a bit of skin. His tie had been loosened, and his sleeves were rolled up to his elbows. Only one lamp illuminated the space, casting a warm light that softened the hard shapes of his features through the shadows.
“Vanessa,” he said, looking up. His voice held a warmth that made my heart flutter. “What brings you here this late?”
I held up the sketch. “I wanted your opinion. I’m stuck on the colors for this design.”
He gestured for me to come over, and I placed the sheet on top of his desk. Sergie leaned forward, his sharp eyes scanning the sketch.
“That’s great,” he finally remarked earnestly. “The lines are bold but elegant. You’ve outdone yourself.”
Heat rushed to my cheeks. “Thank you. However, I can’t decide whether the main tone should be emerald green or a rich, deep crimson.”
He leaned back in his chair and stared at the sketch again before making eye contact with me. Both colors would be stunning, but I preferred red because it would really accentuate the heart. It’s daring.”
“Crimson is daring too,” I remarked quietly, noting it in the bottom corner of the sketch.
For a moment, silence fell between us, the air charged with an energy I couldn’t quite place. I caught his eye and noticed a barely perceptible wrinkle in his forehead.
“Is something wrong?” I asked.
Sergie's eyes met mine as he hesitated before speaking. “Do you have someone, Vanessa?”
The question caught me off guard. “Someone?”
“A man,” he clarified, his voice low. “Someone in your life.”
I blinked, my heart suddenly pounding. “No,” I said quietly. “There’s no one.”
“Why not?” His tone was curious, almost hesitant.
I took my eyes off the sketch and looked at him instead. “I guess I just haven’t found the right person. Perhaps I'm just too absorbed in my work to see.”
Sergie leaned forward, resting his forearms on the desk. “A woman such as you deserves more than just work, Vanessa.”
His words made my back bristle; when I lifted my eyes to meet his gaze, his blue eyes shimmered with something I couldn’t put into words.
***Sergie’s POV***
I shouldn’t have asked her that question. Yet the words escaped my mouth before I could prevent them—an attempt to unveil more about her and understand why such an attractive person was still single.
Now, as she looked at me with those wide green eyes, I couldn’t tear my gaze away.
She tilted her head slightly; her auburn hair caught the light in a way that made it look like fire. “What about you?” she asked softly. “Is there someone in your life?”
“No,” I explained; the word escaped with more force than I intended. “Not anymore.”
She nodded thoughtfully. “I’m sorry,” she said, her voice filled with genuine sympathy.
Her gentleness intensified the pain in my chest. “It’s better this way,” I said. “I’ve found that relationships… complicate things.”
Vanessa smiled faintly. “I can understand that.”
The space between us grew smaller and smaller, each of us carrying the weight of unspoken words and shared understanding. Shifting slightly, her hand grazed the edge of the desk; that small action registered as a shock of awareness within me.
“I should go,” she said, standing up.
But I couldn’t let her leave—not yet.
“Vanessa,” I called out, and her footsteps stopped abruptly. She turned to look at me, her eyes questioning.
Before I could even plan it out or talk myself out of it, I took a step forward and closed the distance between us.
***Vanessa’s POV***
He was now so near that his presence felt like an invasion into my mind—like a chrysalis making itself at home within me. The sweat beaded on my skin as he came closer; his touch electrified me as he brushed a wisp of hair off my cheek.
“You’re extraordinary,” he murmured, his voice low and rough.
I opened my lips to answer, but no words came out. His other hand remained on my cheek while his thumb gently rested on my skin.
Then, as if drawn by some unseen magnetism, he bent down and pressed his lips against mine in a kiss that took the air from my lungs.
It was everything I hadn’t known I wanted—soft yet insistent, tender yet filled with heat that sent fire coursing through my veins.
I reacted involuntarily; my hands found their way to his chest as he deepened the kiss, his other arm encircling my waist to pull me closer.
***Sergie’s POV***
Her lips were soft; her touch electric. Every rational thought fled as I lost myself in her taste—the feel of her body pressed against mine.
I had tried to resist it—to stay away—but now that she was in my arms, I realized how futile it had been. She was like gravity, pulling me in no matter how hard I tried to resist.
Just then we both ran out of breath simultaneously; our foreheads met.
“Vanessa,” I whispered her name softly.
She looked up at me; her green eyes shimmered with emotion. “Sergie, I…”
But before she could finish speaking, she stepped back. The loss of her warmth was immediate—almost painful.
“I should go,” she said again, her voice trembling.
I nodded even though everything within me wanted to stop her. “Goodnight, Vanessa.”
She hesitated for a moment before turning and walking out of the office—leaving me alone with the taste of her still on my lips and the knowledge that nothing would ever be the same.