Forever and Always | Max Verstappen *ੈ✩‧₊˚

Pretend

Bahrain, 21st January 2019
The kiss was unlike anything either of them had ever experienced.

They didn't know each other, but somehow, in that moment, it felt like they knew everything about each other.

It was as if the rest of the world had dissolved, and only the two of them existed in this hazy, alcohol-fueled blur of desire.

When the kiss finally broke, their foreheads rested against each other, their breath mingling in the small space between them.

Max's eyes were darker now, filled with something deeper than just lust.

Emma felt it too, a pull that went beyond the physical.

She blinked up at him, her lips tingling, still tasting him on her.

Max's hand was still on her waist, his thumb absently tracing circles on her hip. His blue eyes, which had been filled with fire a moment ago, softened as they held hers.

Emma's breath hitched as she gazed back at him, suddenly feeling vulnerable in a way that had nothing to do with how close they were standing.

She felt seen, in a way she hadn't been in a long time, by this stranger.

Just as her heart fluttered and the air between them thickened, their eye contact was broken by a voice behind her.

"Emma!" someone called out, their voice slurred.

It was one of her crew members, pointing toward the high chairs near the bar.

"Your friend... she's passed out, I think." The guy wobbled on his feet, clearly drunk himself.

Emma's gaze shifted to where Kika was slumped over, her head resting on her crossed arms atop the high counter. Her hair was a mess, and even from across the club, Emma could tell she was completely out of it.

Max, seeing Emma's hesitation, leaned in close, "Forget about her for a bit. Come back to my hotel with me."

Emma's heart raced again at the sound of his voice, the warmth of his breath against her ear making it hard to think straight.

She could feel his hand still resting on her waist, the heat from his touch spreading through her.

Every part of her wanted to say yes. She wanted to lose herself in whatever this was with him.

She bit her lip, torn.

She glanced back at Kika, then back at Max, and the temptation was almost too much to resist.

He was right there, so close, and the way he was looking at her made her want to forget everything else.

Max's grip tightened slightly on her waist, and he leaned in even closer, his lips brushing against her ear as he whispered, "Come on... I'll make it worth your while."

Emma felt a shiver run down her spine, his words igniting every nerve in her body.

She wanted to go. She really, really did.

But then she looked at Kika again, and reality crashed back in. Kika needed her. There was no way she could leave her friend like that, not when she was passed out and vulnerable.

Emma sighed, her heart sinking as she turned back to him. "I can't," she said, "I have to take care of her."

"She'll be fine. Just for a little while. You and me..."

Emma shook her head, though it took everything in her to do it. "No, I have to get her back to the hotel. Maybe some other time."

Max groaned, clearly not happy with the answer. His lips twitched into a smirk as he leaned back, "You sure about that?"