The Force, aiming to post three straight wins to start a season for the first time in their 20-year history, shot out to a 14-0 lead inside 22 minutes in front of 7377 fans at HBF Park on Saturday.
The Reds, sparked by two tries to outside centre Josh Flook, hit back hard to take the lead early in the second half, but there were two more big twists to come.
Force flanker Carlo Tizzano scored his second try in the 69th minute to snatch back the lead for the home side.
Time was running out for the Reds as the Force held firm for the next 10 minutes, but the visitors had one more chance to steal victory when they won a 79th minute penalty and kicked for touch in the corner.
A mini break from Reds substitute Kalani Thomas from the line-out put a crack in the Force's defence, and winger Filipo Daugunu was on hand to snatch the ball from the ensuing breakdown to crash over the line.
The result means the Reds start the season with a perfect 2-0 record, while the Force are 2-1.
Kiss said his team found a way to win ugly.
"But it was a beautiful win too," he added.
"Can that exist in the same space? I'm not sure. The character of the group can't be questioned.
"We made it hard for ourselves. We didn't control the ball. But we're certainly showing (that fighting spirit) at the moment."
Tizzano opened the scoring in the 16th minute when he grabbed the ball from a ruck and dived through a host of bodies.
A brilliant one-two phase of passes between Dylan Pietsch and Mac Grealy set up the Force's second, with Darcy Swain the beneficiary this time around in another pick-and-go moment.
The sizeable lead was short-lived, with the Reds scoring two tries in the space of three minutes to level the scores.
A well-weighted dribble kick from Reds scrumhalf Tate McDermott set up a running Flook in the 24th minute, and flyhalf Tom Lynagh touched down shortly after to silence the home crowd.
Reds fullback Heremaia Murray resembled a battering ram in the 44th minute, breaking through three separate tackles from Force defenders in a move that helped send Flook over for his second.
Tizzano also posted a double when he found a slither of a gap with his hands while the Reds were desperately trying to defend their tryline.
But the Force's decision to kick the ball forward in the 78th minute - giving possession back to the Reds - came back to haunt them.
"This one hurts, and you can see it in the faces of the players out there on the field," Force coach Simon Cron said.
"It really hurts them that we've let that one go.
"So that's what I'm happy about - that it hurts them, so that they will get up and go again and learn from it, and we'll get better as a team."
