?Chapter 354:


    Her sentence died on her lips.


    When Allison looked up too suddenly, Ken had just released her hair, and their lips brushed - briefly, barely even a kiss.


    Yet in that fleeting moment, both of them froze.


    The rain pattering against the window amplified the silence in the car. Their breaths, their heartbeats, were all that filled the space between them. Thump, thump, thump-


    Ken couldn''t quite tell if it was his heart pounding or Allison''s.


    The wisest thing to do would be to brush it off as an ident and move on.


    But the tension between them was palpable, thick in the air, drawing them closer like an invisible thread. "Would you... like to see my cat do backflips?" Allison said, breaking the silence.


    In the world of grown-ups, some things didn''t need to be said aloud.


    Ken could smell the lingering hint of alcohol on her, and his dark eyes searched hers, trying to gauge her intentions.


    "Well... Ms. rke, do you even know who I am?" Ken''s voice held a trace of hesitation. He didn''t want to take advantage of her, not like this.


    If she mistook him for someone else-perhaps Gordon-he wasn''t sure how he''d feel, but he knew he wouldn''t want to be a mere stand-in for another man.


    Allison blinked, confused by his question, though she didn''t dwell on it.


    Desire had already begun its slow burn inside her, maybe sparked by the alcohol or the rhythmic rain tapping against the ss.


    Their eyes locked once more, and her lips parted slightly. "Ken... if you''re not interested, just forget it," she whispered.


    His response was wordless-a kiss, fierce and demanding.


    All the unsaid words vanished beneath the tide of sensation. Ken''s hands traced the hem of her skirt, and with a simple motion, the strap of her ck evening dress slipped down her shoulder.


    Allison''s head tilted back, her long neck exposed, as his lips found the delicate skin, nting soft kisses that trailed downward.


    One of her hands pressed against his shoulder, while the other was captured in his firm grip.


    For the first time, they were bothpletely sober, and yet it felt as though they were edging toward a beautiful destruction.


    This was no ordinary kiss. It brimmed with raw desire, a silent promise of mutual ruin.


    "Ms. rke, how long have you and Gordon known each other?" Ken''s voice was thick with desire, his touch electric, charged with fervor.


    The roughness of his calloused hands contrasted sharply with Allison''s soft skin as they leaned into each other, their breaths mingling in the heated space.


    Allison straddled him, pulling at his tie, her voice husky yet firm. "You could say that. I''ve known Gordon much longer than you or Floyd."


    With a swift tug, she removed his tie, wrapping her arms around his neck.


    Her words, casual yetced with challenge, hung in the air. "What is it? Are you jealous, Mr. Lloyd?"


    His response was immediate-his kiss deeper, more urgent. "No. I don''t care about that."


    He held her tighter, his lips trailing down her neck, leaving warmth in their wake as his form melted into the shadows.