The elevator ride up to the penthouse was quiet, well, mostly quiet.
By the time they reached Adrian’s penthouse, Amelia was beginning to regret agreeing to come back with him. Not because she was afraid of him. Not because she thought she’d lose control again. But because Adrian Black had a way of making everything feel like an invitation for seduction.
Adrian stood beside Amelia, impossibly close, his hands tucked into his pockets, his storm-gray eyes trained on her. She was trying her very best to pretend that she didn’t feel the weight of his gaze, that she wasn’t hyper aware of every slow breath he took, of the way the air between them was thick with something unspoken.
He was giving her that look again. The one that said,
The doorbell rang, shattering the moment.Amelia exhaled, blinking as if snapping out of a daze. Adrian lingered for a second longer, his storm-gray eyes locked onto hers, searching, waiting. Then, with an unreadable smirk, he turned and walked toward the door.Amelia released the breath she didn’t even realize she was holding. Her heart was still hammering in her chest.What the hell was that?One kiss. One devastating, soul-consuming kiss, and suddenly she felt like she had fallen all over again.Adrian returned, carrying a bag of takeout, looking completely unbothered by the fact that he had just sent her entire world spiraling. “Din
The next morning, the first thing Amelia became aware of was warmth. The steady rise and fall of a chest beneath her palm, the soft rhythm of a heartbeat under her fingertips.Adrian Black.She was wrapped in his arms, curled against his bare chest, his scent lingering on her skin like a dangerous reminder of everything that had happened last night. She swallowed hard, trying to shift away, but the moment she moved, his grip tightened."Going somewhere, sweetheart?"Amelia froze. His voice was thick with sleep, rough and deep, laced with amusement. She tilted her head up and God! help her, there it was. That infuriating, knowing smirk."I swe
Amelia was in trouble. Not the kind of trouble that could be reasoned away, not the kind that had an easy escape route. No, this was Adrian Black trouble, the kind that seeped into her bones, tangled in her veins, and refused to let go.She had never been the kind of woman to let a man consume her thoughts. Until now. She hated it. Hated how her mind drifted to Adrian even when she willed it not to. Hated how his voice lingered in her ears, smooth and teasing. Hated that she could still feel the ghost of his touch on her skin.And most of all?She hated how none of it felt wrong. Amelia tried her best guarding her heart, reinforcing walls built from betrayal and distrust. Yet Adrian had slipped past them like he had always belonged inside.
The silence stretched, thick and suffocating.Amelia should have known better. She should have. She should have pulled open the door, should have faced Adrian, should have done anything but sit there, gripping the sheets like they were the only thing keeping her from unraveling.But she had done nothing. And Adrian had left.That should have made her feel relieved. It didn’t. It felt like losing a battle she hadn’t even realized she was fighting.She buried her face in her hands, cursing herself. You let him in too much. You let yourself feel too much. She had spent years guarding her heart, building walls out of steel and spite. And Adrian Black? He had slipped past them like he belonged inside.
Amelia was restless. She barely slept. She tossed and turned, her mind a chaotic battlefield of memories, emotions, and Adrian Black.The worst part? She had no one to blame but herself. She walked into his office last night, challenged him, and yet, when he called her bluff when he told her he was done chasing, she walked out. Again. And now, she was paying the price.The morning sun filtered through her bedroom window, but instead of warmth, all she felt was frustration. She stared at the ceiling, trying to untangle the mess of emotions twisting inside her. She had never been this emotionally tangled before. Never let someone get under her skin like this. Adrian Black was a problem. Her problem.She hated how easy it was for him to own her, even when she wasn’t his t
Amelia arrived at Adrian’s penthouse, her heart pounding, nerves tingling in the pit of her stomach. She had never done anything like this before, not with him, anyway.The penthouse felt impossibly grand as she walked through the doors, the city skyline stretching out behind glass windows. She had spent the day preparing for this, no games, no masks, just a raw, open attempt to show him something she had never said aloud before.Dinner was waiting on the long glass dining table, the faint flicker of candlelight casting shadows on the sleek, modern furnishings. She had done everything - the candles, the wine, the food, all meticulously arranged. Everything was perfect, save for the knot in her stomach. She wasn’t sure what she was trying to prove or whether she even believed this would work. But she had to try. She couldn
Amelia woke to the scent of cedar and something unmistakably Adrian. The first thing Amelia noticed when she woke up was warmth. Not just the warmth of silk sheets tangled around her legs or the golden morning light filtering through the massive floor-to-ceiling windows. No, it was the warmth of him.Adrian Black.His warmth surrounded her, his strong arm draped over her waist, his breath steady against the back of her neck, his body pressed firmly against hers. His breathing was slow and steady, the even rise and fall of his chest against her back hypnotizing.She blinked, momentarily disoriented. For a moment, she just lay there, absorbing the stillness, the not so unfamiliar feeling of waking up here, with him. No running, no pretending. Just this.
Amelia couldn’t help but smile to herself as she sat at the sleek glass desk in office, her fingers dancing over her laptop’s keyboard. The morning had started with tension, but now it had settled into something comfortable, something that felt real.And yet, despite the relative calm, she couldn’t ignore the heat that lingered between them, the electric buzz that was always just beneath the surface. It was as if the air around them was charged, thick with unspoken words and desires that they were both trying to keep at bay. She felt she had never been good at keeping things at bay.Amelia had spent the last hour ignoring Adrian. Not because she wanted to. But because if she didn’t, she was going to do something insane, like straddle him on the couch and make them both late for work, considering the way he kep
The second Amelia’s lips crashed into Adrian’s, it was over. There was no turning back. Her fingers curled into his shirt, pulling him closer, as if that could erase the jealousy still burning in her chest. But this wasn’t just about jealousy. This was about power.And Adrian Black had too much of it over her.His grip on her tightened, fingers digging into her waist as he backed her against the bedroom door. The impact sent a jolt through her, but all she could focus on was him. The way his lips moved with urgency, with dominance, with hunger."You’re mad," Adrian murmured against her mouth."Shut up," Amelia growled, nipping at his bottom lip.
Amelia couldn’t help but smile to herself as she sat at the sleek glass desk in office, her fingers dancing over her laptop’s keyboard. The morning had started with tension, but now it had settled into something comfortable, something that felt real.And yet, despite the relative calm, she couldn’t ignore the heat that lingered between them, the electric buzz that was always just beneath the surface. It was as if the air around them was charged, thick with unspoken words and desires that they were both trying to keep at bay. She felt she had never been good at keeping things at bay.Amelia had spent the last hour ignoring Adrian. Not because she wanted to. But because if she didn’t, she was going to do something insane, like straddle him on the couch and make them both late for work, considering the way he kep
Amelia woke to the scent of cedar and something unmistakably Adrian. The first thing Amelia noticed when she woke up was warmth. Not just the warmth of silk sheets tangled around her legs or the golden morning light filtering through the massive floor-to-ceiling windows. No, it was the warmth of him.Adrian Black.His warmth surrounded her, his strong arm draped over her waist, his breath steady against the back of her neck, his body pressed firmly against hers. His breathing was slow and steady, the even rise and fall of his chest against her back hypnotizing.She blinked, momentarily disoriented. For a moment, she just lay there, absorbing the stillness, the not so unfamiliar feeling of waking up here, with him. No running, no pretending. Just this.
Amelia arrived at Adrian’s penthouse, her heart pounding, nerves tingling in the pit of her stomach. She had never done anything like this before, not with him, anyway.The penthouse felt impossibly grand as she walked through the doors, the city skyline stretching out behind glass windows. She had spent the day preparing for this, no games, no masks, just a raw, open attempt to show him something she had never said aloud before.Dinner was waiting on the long glass dining table, the faint flicker of candlelight casting shadows on the sleek, modern furnishings. She had done everything - the candles, the wine, the food, all meticulously arranged. Everything was perfect, save for the knot in her stomach. She wasn’t sure what she was trying to prove or whether she even believed this would work. But she had to try. She couldn
Amelia was restless. She barely slept. She tossed and turned, her mind a chaotic battlefield of memories, emotions, and Adrian Black.The worst part? She had no one to blame but herself. She walked into his office last night, challenged him, and yet, when he called her bluff when he told her he was done chasing, she walked out. Again. And now, she was paying the price.The morning sun filtered through her bedroom window, but instead of warmth, all she felt was frustration. She stared at the ceiling, trying to untangle the mess of emotions twisting inside her. She had never been this emotionally tangled before. Never let someone get under her skin like this. Adrian Black was a problem. Her problem.She hated how easy it was for him to own her, even when she wasn’t his t
The silence stretched, thick and suffocating.Amelia should have known better. She should have. She should have pulled open the door, should have faced Adrian, should have done anything but sit there, gripping the sheets like they were the only thing keeping her from unraveling.But she had done nothing. And Adrian had left.That should have made her feel relieved. It didn’t. It felt like losing a battle she hadn’t even realized she was fighting.She buried her face in her hands, cursing herself. You let him in too much. You let yourself feel too much. She had spent years guarding her heart, building walls out of steel and spite. And Adrian Black? He had slipped past them like he belonged inside.
Amelia was in trouble. Not the kind of trouble that could be reasoned away, not the kind that had an easy escape route. No, this was Adrian Black trouble, the kind that seeped into her bones, tangled in her veins, and refused to let go.She had never been the kind of woman to let a man consume her thoughts. Until now. She hated it. Hated how her mind drifted to Adrian even when she willed it not to. Hated how his voice lingered in her ears, smooth and teasing. Hated that she could still feel the ghost of his touch on her skin.And most of all?She hated how none of it felt wrong. Amelia tried her best guarding her heart, reinforcing walls built from betrayal and distrust. Yet Adrian had slipped past them like he had always belonged inside.
The next morning, the first thing Amelia became aware of was warmth. The steady rise and fall of a chest beneath her palm, the soft rhythm of a heartbeat under her fingertips.Adrian Black.She was wrapped in his arms, curled against his bare chest, his scent lingering on her skin like a dangerous reminder of everything that had happened last night. She swallowed hard, trying to shift away, but the moment she moved, his grip tightened."Going somewhere, sweetheart?"Amelia froze. His voice was thick with sleep, rough and deep, laced with amusement. She tilted her head up and God! help her, there it was. That infuriating, knowing smirk."I swe
The doorbell rang, shattering the moment.Amelia exhaled, blinking as if snapping out of a daze. Adrian lingered for a second longer, his storm-gray eyes locked onto hers, searching, waiting. Then, with an unreadable smirk, he turned and walked toward the door.Amelia released the breath she didn’t even realize she was holding. Her heart was still hammering in her chest.What the hell was that?One kiss. One devastating, soul-consuming kiss, and suddenly she felt like she had fallen all over again.Adrian returned, carrying a bag of takeout, looking completely unbothered by the fact that he had just sent her entire world spiraling. “Din