*Amelia’s POV*Adrian slid his hand from my hip up to my throat and squeezed it tenderly, "My feelings don't matter, Amelia. My empire is what matters, and you make me weak."My eyes widened. I hadn't expected him to be so honest about his feelings. I could see the raw emotion in his eyes and hear the vulnerability in his voice as he spoke. I wanted to capitalize on that softness that was so unlike the Adrian I had come to know. Yes, he was saying what he felt for me didn't matter, but he was acknowledging that he felt something, and it made me feel less crazy.I tangled my fingers into Adrian's hair as my breathing increased. His lips were mere inches from mine, and it felt like a magnetic force was drawing us together. He leaned in, and for a brief second, time seemed to stand still. Then he closed the distance between us and our lips crashed together with an intensity that was both unexpected and electrifying.The kiss started soft but quickly grew more passionate as our ton
*Adrian’s POV*I woke up the following morning with Amelia’s nude body pressed against me. Her deep breathing and warmth had helped me sleep better than I could remember sleeping in years. All I wanted to do was cuddle into her and go back to sleep, but that thought alone was enough to make me panic, so instead, I snuck out of the room like a coward.I grabbed my phone from the kitchen island and saw that it was not quite five in the morning yet. I needed to get the fuck out of there before Amelia woke up. I had seen something in her eyes last night that went deeper than overwhelming lust, and that wasn’t a conversation I was ready to have with her yet. There wasn't a future where she and I could live happily ever after, and I was swimming in murky water allowing her to pull my feelings and emotions out of me.I went to the gym and punched the heavy bag until my hands were sore. Then, I ran on the treadmill until it felt like my legs were going to give out. I was trying to drown
*Adrian’s POV*I got back to the penthouse and parked in the private parking garage. The asphalt had been recently redone, and I could still smell the wet cement. When I turned off the engine, the sound echoed off the concrete walls. I could sense the impending argument with Amelia in the atmosphere, and I crossed my fingers that she'd be sulking in her room mad at me for abandoning her after the night of passionate sex we’d shared.I laughed at the stupid thought. Amelia would never cower away from a fight, it was one of the things I admired most about her.I stepped into the elevator and hit the button for the top floor anxiously. My heart raced as I thought about what I needed to do. The elevator doors opened and I stepped out into the lavish penthouse suite.There she was, sitting on the couch with a glass of wine in hand and a book opened in her lap. She looked up at me with those deep green eyes that cut through my soul like daggers, and it felt like we were connected by
*Amelia’s POV*"I'm going to make you come, baby. I'm going to make you come so hard that you lose control of your body. When I'm done with you, you'll be a villain, too," Adrian whispered into my ear.I was torn when I heard him mention making me a villain because that was my greatest fear. I had been so wrapped up in Adrian, I felt like I had lost pieces of who I was along the way. Everything had always been black and white to me. Now there I was, standing against the wall while one of the most notoriously crooked lawyers in DC made me come apart on his fingers.I gasped as he found a new spot inside me each time he moved his fingers. My knees buckled, and my muscles tensed with anticipation. A wave of warmth moved through me as an intense pleasure surged from my core to the tips of my toes. My hips moved in perfect sync with Adrian's thrusts, and before I knew it, I was screaming out his name as ecstasy took over.The pleasure that coursed through me was like nothing I had e
*Amelia’s POV*The door creaked open, revealing a space that felt strangely foreign. Everything was just as I'd left it- the couch where Nina and I watched movies together, the kitchen table where we ate breakfast side by side. The walls seemed to be closing in on me, and the air felt thick with sadness. I hadn't realized how overcome by emotions I'd be until I was in the Uber after I'd left Adrian's penthouse."Amelia?" Nina called out from her bedroom. I texted her from the Uber and let her know I was coming home."It's me," I assured her.I hadn't brought anything other than my briefcase and purse, and I already regretted not grabbing some of my clothes. I made my way to my bedroom and carefully placed my bags on the dresser. I looked around in amazement; every surface was visibly polished, and not a single item seemed out of place. I remembered the mess that had been left behind when our apartment was ransacked, and realized Adrian must have hired somebody to clean it up.
*Adrian’s POV*The glass shattered as it hit the marble floor, pieces of it bouncing as far as I could see. Splintered shards glittered against the tiled kitchen floor, and I found myself enraptured by the kaleidoscope of colors that shone. Throwing it didn’t help the rage that ran unchecked through my body, though. I looked up at my head of security, and he cowered at whatever he saw written on my face.“Why didn’t anyone step in and stop this shit?” I asked him as I stalked toward him. He stepped away, his eyes wide and fearful as he put the large granite kitchen island between us. He was smart to do this, there was something dangerous in my blood tonight.“You told us to watch and never intervene, boss,” he stuttered.I slammed my fists on the countertop and gritted my teeth, "That means don't draw attention to yourselves for the sake of any men who may be following her, you fucking imbeciles.” The man before me sank to his knees, his head bowed in submission. He knew wha
*Amelia’s POV*As I pulled into the parking lot, the morning sun cast a blinding glare through the windshield. My head pulsed with a dull ache, and my eyelids felt heavy. I had stayed out too late with James. The night had been filled with a sexual energy and guilt.When I got home around eleven-thirty, Adrian had called me twice and texted me once, but I sent him to voicemail. Lying in bed, staring at the ceiling, my mind raced with anxiety early into the morning.With a sigh, I exited my car and jogged up the steps into the courthouse. As I entered through the double doors, my calves burned from moving so hastily in my heels. There was a lonely desk in front where an older woman sat hunched over scribbling something in her notepad with intense concentration.She always sat there on Mondays drawing portraits of the people who waited in the lobby, and she'd been doing it for as long as I knew. Her name was Margaret, and everyone in the courthouse treated her like their grandma.
*Adrian’s POV*My head pounded and my mouth felt like it was stuffed full of cotton balls. ‘What the fuck happened?’ I thought to myself. One minute I was checking the perimeter of the warehouse, and the next I was waking up with an excruciating headache. I tried to stand, and I realized I couldn’t move. My eyes shot open, and I saw the dingy walls of the room were painted a nauseating yellow, and the floor was covered in dirt and grime. I heard the sound of footsteps outside the door, and I knew something must have gone very fucking sideways. I was being held captive in some run-down shitty apartment, and MID had to be responsible.Regret began to creep up my spine, I should have told someone other than Bill that I was going out there to check things out. I had made all of my extra security keep tabs on Amelia because I was untouchable, but this wake-up call was proving the opposite. Even the mighty fall when they make stupid ass choices. This was the first time in a long time