CHAPTER 10
“Sometimes, what we fear the most is exactly what we need to face…”
MARIA GAbrIELA
Why was this man so damn good at throwing me off balance?!
The question kept circling my mind as I watched Diego talk, his voice steady, confident, charming as always.
He laughed at something he’d just said, but I could barely register the words.
All I could think about was the way his presence unsettled me—how every smile, every look sent my heart racing in ways I couldn’t control.
He was, without a doubt, the most handsome man I’d ever met. Dark, perfectly styled hair. That strong jawline. Those eyes—eyes that seemed to see straight through any mask I tried to wear. Everything about him radiated a self-assurance that both infuriated me and, against my will, drew me in.
Even knowing that this pull between us only complicated everything.
It was nearly impossible to keep my focus when Diego was around.
He knew exactly how to provoke me, how to play with my emotions, how to throw me on a roller coaster I couldn’t get off.
And yet, here I was—sitting across from him, willingly soaking in his company.
Because the truth was, no matter how confusing or challenging he could be, I liked being with him.
There was something about Diego that made me feel alive, like every moment around him was unpredictable, brimming with possibility. He was, at the same time, my greatest challenge and my greatest desire.
“You went quiet all of a sudden.”
His voice snapped me out of my thoughts, and I realized I’d been staring at him without actually hearing a thing he’d said. My boss was studying me with that curious smile, as if he already knew where my mind had gone.
“Just thinking…” I said, trying for calm as I lifted my wine glass, taking a slow sip to cover the nervous energy bubbling inside me.
“Thinking about me, maybe?” he teased, predictably.
I rolled my eyes, but a smile tugged at my lips.
“Maybe. But not the way you’d like to imagine,” I shot back, trying to claw some control back into my side of the game.
Diego chuckled, that deep, velvety laugh that always seemed to vibrate somewhere inside me. He raised his own glass, eyes still locked on mine, leaning forward just slightly—as if closing the space between us one inch at a time.
“And what way am I imagining…?” he asked, voice calm, but threaded with an intensity that sent shivers across my skin.
I drew in a long breath, fighting the tension coiling tighter with every passing second. He knew exactly what he was doing, exactly how to rattle me. And I couldn’t deny it—dangerous as it was, there was something irresistible about being this close to him.
“Diego…” I started, keeping my tone light. “You’re a problem. You know that?”
His eyebrow lifted, amused.
“Is that a complaint?” he asked, taking another sip of wine.
I sighed, laughing softly.
“I don’t know if it’s a complaint or just me admitting that with you… things will never not be complicated.”
He didn’t reply right away. Instead, he just watched me, eyes roaming mine in a way that sent tingles racing down my spine. It was like he was trying to read past my words, searching for what I wouldn’t say out loud.
“Sometimes, complicating things is inevitable, Maria Gabriela,” he said at last, his voice calm, steady, unwavering. “Especially when it’s about the two of us.”
And in that moment, I realized he was right.
No matter how hard we tried to keep things simple, the truth was nothing between us ever would be. There was an intensity, a chemistry, that couldn’t be ignored—no matter how much we pretended otherwise.
We sipped more wine, letting the conversation drift back to lighter topics, like the trip, or what the next day would bring. But underneath it all, the air was charged. Every glance, every word carried a weight I couldn’t shake. And I knew Diego felt it too.
And even though I knew this tension between us would only make things harder, part of me didn’t want it to end.
Because for all the confusion, for all the danger of it—being with Diego made me feel more alive than I ever had in my life.
I felt a little dizzy, and when I drank too much… I talked too much.
I’d always known that about myself, but it was hard to hold back when I was laughing, having fun, forgetting—even if only for a moment—the constant tension between me and Diego.
The smooth wine had left me lighter, and the truth was, when I drank, I became a looser version of myself—laughier, and, according to my friends, even funnier than usual.
As we left the restaurant, Diego walked beside me, steady and protective.
For all his CEO seriousness and need for control, I could tell that in moments like this, he slipped into something else—something careful, almost tender.
He watched me closely, like he wanted to make sure I made it to my room in one piece.
And no matter how much he tried to hide it behind his narcissistic mask, that side of him always surfaced eventually.
“You really didn’t have to drink that much,” he said, his tone half-scolding but softened by the smile on his lips, his hand lightly guiding my elbow as we moved down the hallway toward the elevator.
“Hey! I didn’t drink that much,” I shot back with a laugh. “Just… enough to feel… amazing!”
I couldn’t stop laughing—that’s what wine did to me. All my worries, all the rigid lines I tried to draw, dissolved into thin air.
And, of course, my boss stood right there, watching me with that amused look I was starting to know too well.
“Of course you didn’t,” he replied dryly. “And the fact that you can barely walk in a straight line has nothing to do with it, right?”
I made a face at him, but it quickly broke into another smile.
Diego was infuriating in a way that was… charming. The kind of man who knew exactly how to provoke me and somehow still make me feel safe.
It was dangerous, but in that moment, I didn’t care.
“You’re so bossy, you know that?” I teased as he pressed the elevator button. We stood in silence for a few seconds.
He gave me a small smile, and when the doors slid open, he guided me inside with a gentleness I hadn’t expected from him. Normally, he was all orders and authority. But here, in the quiet of the elevator, he was just… himself. Maybe less the CEO and more the man behind it all.
“So they say,” he murmured, smirking as the doors closed.
I leaned back against the wall, still smiling, letting the wine wrap around me in a haze—but not so far gone I didn’t notice the way his eyes locked with mine. The air grew thick, familiar with that tension I knew too well. Only this time, I felt lighter. More open to whatever might happen.
“You know, you’re not as bossy outside the office,” I said, my voice playful, though the honesty slipped through. “You can even be… gentle sometimes.”
His brow lifted, amused.
“Don’t go telling anyone,” he said with a discreet smile. “I’ve got a reputation to uphold.”
I laughed again, and before we realized it, the elevator opened onto our floor.
Diego walked me down the hall to my room, his hand resting lightly on my back, steadying me. When we reached the door, I turned to him, still laughing softly.
“See? Made it all the way here without falling,” I said, my voice bursting with exaggerated pride.
“Congratulations,” he said, leaning slightly closer, his eyes holding mine. “But just to be safe, I think you should go straight to bed.”
I rolled my eyes, smiling.
“Look at that—the great Diego Bittencourt, worried about me,” I teased, though I knew there was something real behind it. He did care, even if he didn’t like to admit it.
He only smiled back, and somehow, it looked more genuine than usual.
“Go to sleep,” he said as he opened the door for me. “Tomorrow’s a new day… and you’ll need all the energy you can get.”
I nodded, but before stepping inside, I turned back to him one last time, the warmth of the wine still humming through me.
“Thank you, Diego,” I said softly. “For looking out for me.”
I went to hug him back, but my heel caught on the floor and I stumbled—straight into his chest… and what a chest. When I looked up, his mouth was right there, kissable as hell.
“Don’t look at me like that.”
“Why not? Afraid I’ll kiss you?”
“No… but if you do, you’ll have to live with the consequences.”
“I want to.”
I didn’t think twice. Instinct took over—my hands fisted into his shirt, pulling him closer. The fabric wrinkled beneath my fingers while my heart pounded so hard it felt like it might burst out of me.
Our eyes met for just a second—but it was enough to ignite everything. One second thick with electricity, with unspoken desire, with all the teasing and tension we’d been hoarding. And then the inevitable happened.
His mouth crashed against mine with devastating intensity, stealing my breath, my reason, any shred of control. Diego kissed me like he’d been waiting for this as long as I had, his grip firm on my waist, pinning me to him until there wasn’t an inch of space left between us.
The kiss… God, the kiss was too good. His lips dominated mine without hesitation, shifting between urgent pressure and teasing softness, like he knew exactly how to break me apart. His tongue swept into my mouth, bold and relentless, tangling with mine in a rhythm that left me reeling.
My hands slid from his shirt to his neck, threading into his hair. I wanted more—needed more. Every cell in my body vibrated, begging for him, as if this contact was the only thing keeping me alive.
He pulled me tighter, one arm locked around my back, holding me like he wanted to brand me. Heat radiated off him, wrapping me whole, and I couldn’t hold back the low moan that escaped against his mouth.
The world around us vanished. No space, no time, no logic—just the two of us, consumed by something we’d spent far too long pretending we could deny.
For one fleeting moment, everything made sense. The longing, the banter, every stare, every fight disguised as a game—it all exploded into this kiss, desperate and unforgettable.
And honestly? I didn’t want to forget. I’d craved this for so, so long.
His lips tore from mine only to trail down my neck. The heat of his mouth on my skin made my knees weak, and when he sucked slowly, marking me, a shiver rippled through me.
“Diego…” My voice came out a broken whisper, half-plea, half-surrender.
He smiled against my skin, that rough, hungry smile, while his hands started roaming, exploring every curve. Hot fingers sliding down my back, up to my neck, then lower along my hip, squeezing hard enough to make me moan into his mouth when he kissed me again.
I was gone. Completely his. My hands roamed over his broad shoulders, tracing the tension in his muscles before gliding down his chest, craving more contact, more skin.
Diego pressed me against the nearest wall, his body molded perfectly to mine, and I felt how much he wanted me without a single word spoken. The friction wrenched a needy sound from both of us, swallowed by a kiss that felt endless.
He nipped at my bottom lip, then soothed the sting with his tongue, his mouth devouring mine before trailing down over my collarbone. One hand slid beneath my blouse, lifting it slowly, savoring every second of anticipation.
My fingers tangled harder in his hair when his warm hand touched bare skin, and my body arched into him, helpless. Fighting was useless. Retreat, impossible. I wanted him so much it hurt.
“You have no idea how long I’ve dreamed about this…” he breathed, his forehead pressed to mine before claiming my mouth again, hungrier this time.
And in that moment, I knew—I was completely his.
But then reality slammed into me. I needed to stop.
I should stop.
I pulled back, slow and reluctant, my body screaming in protest. I was breathless, my heart hammering, but I knew I had to set boundaries before things spiraled even further.
“This… was a terrible idea,” I murmured, my lips still tingling from his kiss. My voice was shaky, but firm. It was for the best.
Diego looked at me, confusion flickering with frustration. His eyes searched mine, desperate to understand why I’d pulled away.
“Why are you running again?” he whispered, his voice raw. “Why was this such a terrible idea?”
I inhaled sharply, knowing the words I was about to say would change everything between us. But there was no avoiding it anymore.
“Diego… I’m resigning at the end of the month.”
Shock crashed across his face. His eyes narrowed, trying to process it, then he stepped back, like he needed space to regain his footing.
“What?! Are you out of your mind?!” His voice cut through the air, sharp with disbelief and anger.
The weight of everything pressed into me—the tension, the desire, the chaos—and I knew I couldn’t let this continue. Not with so much at stake. I was trying to protect myself… maybe even him too.
Before he could argue, I pushed him gently out of the room, catching him off guard.
“It’s for the best, Diego,” I said, my voice steady but laced with sorrow. “This… us… it won’t work.”
I saw the protest rising in him, but before he could speak, I closed the door carefully, leaning against it with a long, trembling exhale. My hands shook. My pulse was still racing.
Why did it have to be so hard?
I knew I was making the right choice, but that didn’t make it any easier.
I stumbled toward the bed and collapsed onto it, the weight of the moment crashing down on me. My emotions were at war—my body screaming for him, my mind begging me to let go.
Lying there, all I could feel was the memory of his mouth on mine, the heat of his body pressed against me.
I had to pull away before everything spiraled further out of control. But a part of me knew I’d never forget that kiss—never stop wanting more.
I closed my eyes, but I already knew sleep wouldn’t come easy.
I’d just shut the door on Diego Bittencourt… yet somehow, deep inside, I knew our story was far from over.