No Strings Attached

Clara felt lan's firm grip as he guided her out of the college's back gate, passing the very alley that had been the scene of a traumatic event three years ago.

The alley remained a picture of neglect, with its pothole-riddled path and walls crying out for a fresh coat of paint. The occasional yowl of a stray cat pierced the silence, and the flickering streetlights stretched their shadows long and distorted across the ground.

A shiver ran down Clara's spine as she clung to lan's arm, her voice betraying her anxiety. "Ian, why are we here?"

lan's handsome face was accentuated by the dim light, casting sharp contrasts across his features. His eyes, deep pools of mystery, shimmered with a soft light, and his lips curved into a half-smile as he gazed at Clara with a look as tender as moonlight on water.

voice was warm, magnetic, "I never knew what it was to feel a heartbeat until I met you. I used to think my fondness for you was just physical attraction, but after you left, I realized it was more profound. The moment

deep within. The

me three years to learn how to love someone, and because I didn't know how to express it, I ended up hurting you. If I could turn back time, I'd rewrite our story starting from this alley, and this time,

can we start

her earlobe, sending a shiver down her spine. His touch was provocative, stirring a tremor in her body and causing her heart to skip a beat. Lifting her eyes to his, Clara felt the heat of his breath, the intensity of his gaze. This sudden

panic in her eyes, lan leaned in and kissed her gently. "Don't be afraid. This time, I'll

the ones he'd longed for in a gentle, initiating a kiss that gradually melted away Clara's resistance. Her hands instinctively wrapped around his neck as they both lost themselves in the moment, their breaths merging

the moment. Clara, suddenly brought back to reality,