Kissing Stranger

**[BLOODFIST SERIES 8]**

Lucine Celestia Veravesta swayed gently on her barstool, the warm, intoxicating haze of alcohol wrapping around her like a thick fog. The dim ambiance of the bar blurred her senses, but a flicker of curiosity ignited within her as she caught sight of the stranger seated beside her. He sat with an enigmatic calm, his glass tilted at a precarious angle as he took another shot, the amber liquid glinting in the soft light. His black leather jacket clung to him like a second skin, exuding rebellion and mystery.

As she concentrated on him, her eyebrows knit together in confusion. The shadows played tricks on her vision, obscuring his features, but a few qualities stood out-intense, piercing eyes that seemed to hold secrets, and a hint of stubble on a strong jawline that lent him an air of rugged charm. The ambient glow of the neon lights bathed him in a surreal luminescence, heightening her intrigue. Who could this captivating figure be, shrouded in enigma and allure?

On the other hand, Cassius Elixir Creighton's expression contorted into one of sheer horror as an unfamiliar woman suddenly pressed her lips against his without a preamble. The suddenness of the kiss struck him like a lightning bolt, his eyes wide with shock as he instinctively recoiled, his heart pounding frantically in his chest. This jarring intrusion shattered his carefully constructed walls, sending uncomfortable waves rippling through him.

Cassius had navigated the chaotic dance of advances from eager women, resolute in his identity and disinterested in romantic entanglements; he had long since embraced his lack of attraction to them. But now, as this bold woman claimed him with an audacity he had never encountered before, a flicker of uncertainty coursed through him. What would inspire Lucine Celestia to kiss a stranger like Cassius Elixir Creighton so suddenly? What could she possibly see in someone who had spent a lifetime keeping emotions at bay?