Mara paced back and forth across the studio floor, feeling her frustration build with every second. Ryder's demands were starting to dig under her skin. He wanted everything to be polished, every piece of art curated to appeal to high-profile clients. It felt like he was turning her father's dream into some lifeless commodity.
The door creaked open, and she looked up, startled. Ryder stepped in, his dark suit perfectly in place, as usual, his expression unreadable. "Is this a bad time?" he asked, his voice calm, though she could sense something else beneath it a tension that matched her own.
Mara stopped, folding her arms as she glared at him. "Actually, yes. I was just thinking about how I could keep the soul of this studio alive without you turning it into some corporate gallery."
Ryder's lips lifted in a faint smirk. "So much hostility," he murmured, stepping closer. "I thought we agreed this was a partnership, Mara."
"It doesn't feel like one," she shot back, meeting his gaze head-on. "It feels like I'm just here to make you richer."
Ryder's eyes flashed, a glimmer of challenge in his gaze. He stepped closer until there were only inches between them. "You agreed to this, Mara," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "I warned you it wouldn't be easy. If you wanted to save your studio without my help, you could have walked away."
The closeness, the intensity in his voice, was getting to her. She could feel her heart racing, anger mingling with something she didn't want to name. "You're insufferable, you know that?" she said, her voice trembling.
He didn't move, his gaze locked on hers. "And you're stubborn," he replied, his tone softer, almost amused. "But you wouldn't be you if you weren't."
The air between them was thick with tension, a tension that had been building since the moment they met. Mara could feel her heart pounding, and before she knew what she was doing, she took a step closer. She could see the surprise in his eyes, but he didn't pull away.
And then, before she could think, his hand slid to her waist, pulling her closer. His other hand brushed a strand of hair from her face, his thumb tracing the line of her jaw, his gaze dark and unwavering.
"Mara," he murmured, his voice low. She barely registered it before his lips pressed against hers, firm and demanding.
The kiss was electric, sending a jolt through her, and despite every rational thought screaming at her to stop, she found herself responding, her hands lifting to his chest, fingers curling into the fabric of his suit. She hated him, hated the way he challenged her, the way he tried to control her life… and yet, she couldn't deny the heat that flooded through her as he pulled her even closer, deepening the kiss.
But then, just as quickly as it started, Mara's anger flared again. Her mind snapped back, and she shoved him away, breathing hard. Without a second thought, her hand shot out, striking him across the face with a sharp slap that echoed in the silence.
Ryder's head turned slightly from the impact, his cheek reddening, but he stayed still, his expression unreadable. He lifted a hand slowly, touching the spot where she'd slapped him. His lips twisted into a faint smile, as if he were both amused and intrigued.
"What the hell was that for?" he asked, his voice calm but laced with something darker.
Mara's chest rose and fell as she struggled to catch her breath. "Don't you ever" Her voice broke as she fought to keep it steady. "Don't you ever do that again. You don't get to treat me like some… challenge you can conquer, Ryder."
He watched her, the amusement in his eyes gone, replaced by something intense, something unreadable. "Maybe you needed a reminder," he said softly, his tone deadly calm, "that not everything can be controlled. Not by you. Not by me."
She glared at him, feeling her anger flare again. "I don't need your reminders. I know exactly who I am and what I want. And I'll save this studio on my terms, with or without you."
He held her gaze, his eyes searching hers as if he were trying to see past her words. For a moment, it felt as if they were on the edge of something dangerous, something that could change everything between them.
Then, he nodded, his expression softening just slightly. "Fine," he said. "But don't expect me to stop pushing you, Mara. You want to save this place? Then learn to fight as hard as you feel."
With that, he turned and walked out, leaving her standing alone in the studio, her hand still tingling from the slap and her heart racing from the kiss. Mara took a shaky breath, her emotions swirling as she tried to make sense of what had just happened.
Ryder Hale was a complication she hadn't planned for, and she had a feeling he was only just getting started.