Chapter 51
ADELINA
We could barely get ourselves into the car, both of us vibrating with an anticipation that made every second unbearable. Cezar was driving too fast, but even at that speed, it wasn’t fast enough.
The sun was low on the horizon, painting the sky gold while the road wound through endless curves.
My mind was fixed on him, the fire simmering between us.
When the car finally turned down a long, shadow-soaked driveway, the trees closed in overhead like an archway to another world. This was a dream.
A castle.
I couldn’t help but laugh. It was fitting since a castle was where everything began, so why wouldn’t we share everything we had in one? This castle was beautiful. Bigger than most of the ones near our city. We were in the middle of nowhere, and I loved every minute of it.
The car stopped hard enough to jolt us. Cezar breathed out, his fingers flexing against the wheel before he climbed out.
No bags. No overnight gear. Strange for someone who packed like he was preparing for the end of the world.
Still, he didn’t hesitate for a second. He rounded to my door, pulled it open, and had me off my feet before I could protest.
A soft, surprised sound escaped me. I wasn’t fragile, and normally I hated being treated as if I were—but with Cezar I craved it.
He carried me all the way to the front doors, smiling, even though he never looked directly at me. After putting me down, he unlocked the door with the ease of someone who had been here before.
The place was hauntingly magnificent. It didn’t feel abandoned, but it didn’t feel lived in either. A secret he had somehow managed to keep from me—impressive, given his terrible track record with surprises.
He led me into the living room, kneeled by the hearth, and lit the fire.
The glow caught the edges of him—his shoulders, the cut of his jaw, the concentration in his eyes—all of it made me want him more.
I wanted to drag him to the floor and forget whatever plan he had.
But this felt like a moment that deserved patience.
Some things need to be savored.
I settled on the couch as he finished with the fire. When he turned toward me, he didn’t walk—he crawled. Slow. Intentional. Predatory in the way only he could be.
His palms slid up my legs, fingertips tracing along my skin until heat curled through me. Then his mouth followed, kisses trailing a path up my thigh like he was memorizing me, breath by breath.
I couldn’t stay still. My hands traveled to his jaw, pulling him in, crashing my mouth against his. His tongue found mine instantly, hungry and familiar, stealing my breath in that maddening way he always did. If suffocation ever became my end, this would be the sweetest way to go.
Everything faded out. There was only his touch, the way he unraveled me with barely any effort, the way he worshiped every inch like he was discovering me all over again.
His lips dragged along my jaw, teeth scraping just enough to make my body shiver.
I arched into him without thinking, offering more, pleading without words.
Cezar was hard. Barely holding himself together as he pressed against me, trying to maintain control even though he was hanging by a thread.
Then he stood, breath unsteady, and held his hand out to me.
Waiting for me to accept that it was now us against them.
The never-ending war in my head didn’t feel like mine alone anymore.
He was choosing me. And I was choosing him.
Cezar’s gaze was intense, his smile faint yet devilishly enticing. The things he wanted to do to me and the boundaries I would let him cross were nothing short of pure sin. I took his hand, ready to surrender whatever remained of my soul to our darkness.
Silently, we walked down the corridor. The hallway was dimly lit by candles until we reached the only room with an open door.
Walking in, I noticed petals scattered across the floor, leading to the bed, where roses in different shades covered the sheets.
On either side of it, black ones had been placed carefully on the nightstands.
Morbidly sweet.
My pulse thundered as he pulled me inside, the heavy door clicking shut behind us.
A point of no return.