INTOXICATED HAZE

[LENA]

The kiss gradually receded in intensity, and we finally pulled apart, leaning our foreheads together with our eyes closed as we caught our breaths.

I was in an intoxicated haze from the drug that was called Luca.

I felt like I was floating, like a chemical was infused into all the cells of my body, making me excessively happy and content, increasing my heart rate and blood pressure, muddling my perception, and leaving me wanting more. I've never experienced this kind of happiness before. It was the most wonderful feeling in the world.

And it just happened naturally. Unthinking. Unplanned. Unforced.

My heart was still pounding with excitement. It was difficult to calm down when he was so close to me, leaning his arm on the wall above my head, and I could see the muscles in his neck and jaw tensing and slackening, his quick, heavy breaths sounding quite tempting.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his voice low and gruff.