infinite Rebate System: 10x Rewards for Conquering And Taming Heroines

"Hmm..." Emma’s reply was barely more than a breath.

Her heart hammered so hard she was sure he could hear it. Her palms had gone damp with nerves.

"If you want me to stop, just say so," Jason murmured.

"Okay..." Her voice trembled on the single word.

Why did even that short exchange suddenly feel charged?

When she didn’t pull away, Jason leaned in slowly. Emma watched his face draw closer, the warm scent of him filling her senses, and her legs went unsteady.

*We’re really going to kiss...*

She squeezed her eyes shut. Her lashes fluttered. The flush on her cheeks deepened until it felt like her whole face was burning.

The first touch of his mouth was soft~warm, careful, tasting faintly sweet. Emma froze completely. Time seemed to stop. A blank white flash filled her mind, as if every thought had been wiped clean.

They were actually kissing.

And it felt... good.

Then she felt the gentle press of his tongue against her lips and a sharp jolt of sensation raced down her spine. Her whole body went weak. Her knees nearly gave out. Every second stretched, crystal clear and overwhelming at once.

"You two~movie’s starting. You need to come inside."

The ticket taker’s voice cut through the moment, equal parts professional and irritated. Five full minutes had passed. He looked like a man who had seen too many couples forget the rest of the world existed.

Emma jerked backward as if scalded. She kept her head down, breathing hard, unable to look at Jason. Her pulse still thundered in her ears.

Jason exhaled through his nose, half amused, half resigned. *Buddy, the jealousy is showing

**[Ding! Mission Complete]**

**[Mission: Kiss Emma Reed]**

**[Reward: Stamina Boost Capsule]**

He ignored the system notification for now, simply took Emma’s hand, and led her through the ticket check into the dark theater.

---

They hadn’t missed the opening. *Avatar* was just beginning as they slipped into seats in the back row. On a weekday night the theater was nearly empty; the entire last row belonged to them alone.

Jason had never actually watched the movie in his previous life. The only line that ever stuck with him came from somewhere else entirely. He glanced sideways at Emma, who still sat rigid and flushed beside him.

*She’d look incredible in something more traditional,* he thought absently. *Maybe one day

"Want some of your drink?" he asked, offering the cup in an attempt to break the thick silence.

Emma took it without looking at him and sipped mechanically. The cold liquid hit her tongue and immediately dragged her mind straight back to the feeling of his mouth on hers.

She had kissed Jason.

What did that make them now?

And why had he used his tongue like that...?

Heat flooded her face all over again. Even the cold drink couldn’t cool her down.

Jason, trying to keep the mood light, said casually, "These pearls are pretty good, right? Soft and sweet."

Emma’s head snapped toward him.

"Jason~don’t say random things!"

The words "soft and sweet" had hit far too close. Her freshly settled emotions flared right back up. She glared at him, but underneath the embarrassment a small, secret warmth curled in her chest.

*Did he just say my lips were soft and sweet?*

*Does that mean he likes me?*

Jason raised both hands in mock surrender. He honestly hadn’t meant it as a deliberate tease~this time. The old habits of smooth talk were simply hard to kill completely.

"I’m not talking nonsense," he said, voice lower. "Your lips really are soft... and sweet. This was my first kiss, you know. I didn’t expect it to be with you. Kind of a big deal."

That part was true. In this life he was starting over completely~first kiss included.

Emma looked scandalized. She grabbed his hand and gave it a light, warning bite, then immediately seemed worried he might misread it.

"I’m just shy," she muttered. "It was my first kiss too."

Jason turned serious. "As long as you didn’t hate it, that’s all that matters. I was worried I was moving too fast. If you didn’t like it, I’ll apologize."

The gentle retreat worked exactly as intended.

Emma’s eyes widened. She rushed to stop him. "No~don’t apologize. I don’t dislike it. I... I agreed to it myself."

Inside she was a mess of conflicting feelings. He was being so careful with her, so considerate, and she was the one who had said yes. He was also on his first kiss in this life. She hadn’t lost anything. If anything she was the one overthinking everything while he stayed almost painfully sincere.

Jason pressed, soft but relentless. "So that means you liked it?"

Emma clapped a hand over his mouth, flustered beyond words. "Stop asking questions like that! Just watch the movie, okay?"

He gently pulled her hand away, still smiling.

"I don’t know how you feel about it," he said quietly, "but I liked it a lot. That’s why I... got carried away for a second. It felt natural. Almost like I’d done it before."

Emma let out a tiny, strangled sound that was swallowed by the movie’s soundtrack.

For the next hour they sat in charged silence. Neither of them absorbed much of the film. The glowing blue world on the screen might as well have been background noise.

When the lights finally came up, Jason turned to her and offered his hand.

"Emma? Ready to go?"

She blinked out of her daze and placed her hand in his a little too quickly. "Y-yeah."

Outside, the pedestrian street had emptied. Most of the shops were dark. The air had turned cooler. Jason checked his phone~11:30 p.m.~then swung a leg over the motorcycle and patted the seat behind him.

"Hop on. We should get back before Aunt Victoria starts worrying."

The reminder of the "private lessons" still waiting at home flickered through his mind. He almost sighed. Tonight was turning out to be a lot longer than planned.

Emma climbed on and wrapped her arms around his waist without thinking, still half lost in the memory of the kiss. The night wind washed over them as the bike pulled away, carrying a rare, quiet sense of lightness for both of them.

When they finally stopped in front of the apartment building, Jason’s phone rang.

He pulled it out and looked at the screen.

**Detective Rivera*

Results on Olivia already? That was faster than expected.

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