The world seemed to fall quiet whenever Adrian's lips touched mine.
His kisses carried a fire that spread through my body, erasing every doubt, every fear, every thought that I could live without him.
To me, he wasn't just a lover, he was a storm I willingly stepped into, a danger I convinced myself I could tame.
Adrian Cole. Just saying his name made me shiver.
His presence filled every room he entered with a dark hair perfectly unruly, that dangerous smile always playing at the corner of his lips.
To everyone else, he was magnetic, charming, the kind of man who left trails of sighs behind him.
To me, he was everything. My center. My weakness.
But sometimes, in the midst of our burning passion, I tasted something strange.
His kisses weren't always sweet; some of them felt heavy, metallic, like swallowing a lie disguised as honey.
I would push the thought away, blaming my imagination, reminding myself that we were the couple everyone envied. Perfect. Untouchable. At least, that's what I told myself.
The first time Adrian Cole kissed me, I thought I had discovered what it meant to live.
We were standing in the courtyard just after sunset, the sky bleeding in streaks of orange and violet. Students drifted around us in pairs or groups, laughter echoing through the cool evening, but the world had narrowed to just him and me.
His presence carried a gravity that pulled me closer, a force I was too powerless to resist.
I don't even remember what we were talking about before it happened you know, something trivial, something that hardly mattered in the grand scope of what was about to change between us.
What I do remember is the way his eyes burned into mine, the way he tilted his head slightly, as though considering whether or not to risk it.
And then, without warning, he leaned in on me.
I can feel the connection as his lips touched mine softly at first, hesitant but electric.
A spark darted through my veins, leaving me breathless.
My heart slammed against my rib cage so loudly I was sure he could hear it. I'd been kissed before fleeting, playful, forgettable but nothing compared to this.
His kiss was a storm bottled inside a man's mouth, and I let it swallow me whole.
The taste of him was intoxicating, sweet at first, like cinnamon, yet with a faint bitterness beneath it, sharp and lingering.
It wasn't unpleasant, just… confusing, like a note in a melody that didn't quite belong but made the song unforgettable.
I should have wondered why it was there, but in that moment, passion drowned out logic.
When he pulled back, he looked at me with a grin that was equal parts mischief and possession.
"You taste like trouble," he whispered.
I laughed nervously, trying to catch my breath.
"I was about to say the same about you."
That kiss changed everything.
Before Adrian, my life had been routine, predictable.
Classes, late-night study sessions, afternoons with Maya (my best friend) who had been by my side since childhood.
We shared everything, or so I thought.
But after that first kiss, I couldn't think straight.
Adrian occupied every corner of my mind.
His smile lingered in my thoughts when I should have been focused on textbooks.
His voice replayed in my ears when silence filled the room.
And his kiss, oh la la my God, his kiss haunted me most of all.
I craved it constantly, the way one craves air after drowning.
The memory of it replayed again and again, like a secret I was desperate to keep reliving.
Every detail was etched into me, the warmth of his hand against my cheek, the scent of cedar and spice on his skin.
The way his lips pressed against mine as though I belonged to him already.
But it wasn't just the sweetness I remembered.
It was that strange aftertaste, faint but undeniable, like the ghost of something bitter. Addiction to it would be crazy :)
A week later, we found ourselves alone again, this time in the library.
The room was quiet except for the scratching of pens and the occasional squeak of a chair.
I sat across from Adrian at a long wooden table, textbooks spread before me, but I barely read a word.
His presence across the table was overwhelming.
Every time his eyes flicked up to mine, I felt the breath catch in my throat.
Finally, unable to resist, he closed the book he hadn't been reading and leaned across the table.
"Come here," he whispered.
I hesitated, glancing around.
"Adrian, not here".
Trying to laugh off.
But he was already moving, his lips brushing mine over the pile of open books.
It was reckless, dangerous, and it set my blood on fire.
I melted against him despite myself, kissing him back with a hunger I didn't know I possessed.
When we pulled apart, breathless, I scolded him weakly.
"You're trouble and it's going to get us thrown out."
He smirked, brushing his thumb against my bottom lip.
"Then it will be worth it."
Again, that kiss had the same taste, sweet, overwhelming, but tinged with something bitter.
It was becoming familiar, but I pushed the thought aside.
Maybe passion wasn't supposed to be clean. Maybe real love carried a taste of danger.
That night, I called Maya.
She'd been pestering me for details about Adrian ever since she'd noticed him lingering around me.
I could hear the excitement in her voice as soon as she picked up.
So? she asked eagerly.
Are you going to stop torturing me and tell me everything, or do I have to drag it out of you?
I smiled into the phone, curling up on my bed.
"He kissed me."
Maya squealed so loudly I had to hold the phone away from my ear.
Finally! Elena, I told you!
I knew he was into you.
Tell me everything. How was it?
I bit my lip, the memory flashing hot and vivid.
It was… incredible. Like nothing I've ever felt before.
Her voice softened, almost wistful.
Lucky you. Every girl on campus would die to be in your place.
The way she said it made something twist in my stomach.
It was meant to be playful, but there was an edge beneath her words I couldn't quite place.
I brushed it off.
Maya had always been dramatic. She was my best friend. There was nothing to worry about.
I think she will be safe with Adrian.
Days turned into weeks, and with each passing moment, Adrian pulled me deeper into his world.
He kissed me everywhere between… classes, under the rain, in the quiet of empty hallways, in the streets, even in the cab.
Each kiss was its own story, a new language spoken with lips and breath.
Some were soft and slow, others urgent and wild.
But always, that taste lingered. That faint bitterness. That whisper of something wrong.
One evening, as we sat by the river, I dared to ask.
Do you ever feel like… sometimes things are too good to be true?
Adrian tilted his head, his dark eyes glinting in the fading light.
Are you saying we're too good to be true?
Let me understand.
No, I said quickly, though the word almost caught in my throat.
I just mean… you ever get scared?
That something this perfect can't last?
He smiled then, pulling me close, his lips brushing my ear.
"Really! Come on!! Don't think like that. Just trust me."
And then he kissed me again, deep and lingering, the taste of him filling me whole.
Sweet, intoxicating… and still, that hint of bitterness remained, clinging like a shadow I couldn't shake.
What's hidden under the sun would definitely show up someday.
That was how Adrian loved me.
Through kisses that left me both whole and fractured. I was too blind to see what they really meant.
One day, I'd look back and realize: the betrayal had been there all along.
Hiding in plain sight. Hiding in the very first kiss.
Elena didn't know if it was the kiss or the way Adrian looked at her afterward that stole her breath.
If this is wrong…he whispered, his thumb brushing her cheek.
Then why does it feel so right?