Sit Still
After the gala, Adrian became quieter.
Which honestly terrified Lia more than jealousy ever had.
Because Adrian quiet usually meant he was thinking too much.
And when Adrian thought too much—
people suffered.
—
Rain followed them through the city while the black car moved silently beneath blurred streetlights.
Lia sat beside him hyperaware of everything now.
The way his jaw remained tight.
The way one hand rested steadily against the steering wheel while the other stayed near her thigh.
Not touching.
Just there.
Like restraint.
The silence inside the car felt heavy.
Not awkward.
Dangerous.
Finally, Lia exhaled softly.
"You scared Elias."
Adrian didn't look away from the road.
"He recovered."
"That is not the point."
A pause.
Then quietly:
"He touched you to test me."
Lia blinked.
"What?"
Adrian's expression remained calm.
"He wanted to see how possessive I'd become."
The certainty in his voice unsettled her immediately.
"You sound very confident about that."
"I am."
Of course he was.
Lia leaned back against the seat slowly.
"You know most people would hear this conversation and think you're insane."
"Most people don't watch you the way I do."
The words wrapped tightly around her chest again.
Because Adrian always sounded so certain.
Like every feeling inside him had already rooted itself too deeply to question.
Rain tapped softly against the windows.
The city lights reflected gold across Adrian's face briefly before fading again.
Lia studied him quietly.
"You really hated that handshake."
Adrian finally glanced toward her.
Something darker moved behind his eyes immediately.
"Yes."
Her pulse stumbled.
"Why?"
The silence stretched for several seconds too long.
Then Adrian answered honestly.
"Because he looked pleased touching you."
The possessiveness in his voice settled warm and dangerous beneath her ribs.
Not loud.
Worse.
Controlled enough to sound genuine.
Lia looked away toward the rain-covered window.
"You get jealous over everything."
"No."
His hand moved suddenly—
warm fingers settling lightly against her thigh.
Possessive enough to make her breathing uneven immediately.
"Only things involving you."
The contact destroyed her concentration instantly.
Because Adrian touched her like every movement meant something.
Careful.
Intentional.
Like he physically enjoyed watching her react.
His thumb brushed lightly against the fabric of her dress once.
Slow.
Lia's pulse jumped.
Adrian noticed immediately.
Of course he did.
"You're nervous."
"You keep touching me unexpectedly."
"You like when I touch you."
The honesty nearly killed her emotionally.
Because lately—
that was becoming true too.
The car slowed at a red light.
Rain blurred the windshield while soft music played low through the speakers.
Adrian's hand remained exactly where it was.
Warm against her thigh.
Not moving away.
And maybe the worst part?
Lia didn't want him to.
Her voice came quieter than intended.
"You've gotten worse lately."
A faint flicker crossed his face.
"Worse?"
"More possessive."
Adrian looked at her steadily now.
"You kissed me."
The words settled heavily between them.
Like explanation.
Like justification.
And somehow—
part of her understood exactly what he meant.
Kissing Adrian hadn't calmed his obsession.
It fed it.
Made him greedier for closeness afterward.
The realization should've frightened her more.
Instead—
warmth spread slowly through her chest.
Adrian's fingers tightened slightly against her thigh.
"You've become more affectionate too."
Heat rushed immediately into her face.
"I have not."
"You touch me constantly now."
Lia opened her mouth—
then closed it again.
Because unfortunately—
he was right.
She touched his shoulders while talking now.
Held onto his arm unconsciously.
Curled closer against him whenever he sat beside her.
And maybe Adrian noticed every single bit of it.
His gaze darkened slightly at her silence.
"There."
"What?"
"You stopped denying it."
The atmosphere inside the car thickened instantly.
Heavy enough to breathe.
Adrian's thumb moved again.
Higher this time.
Still respectful.
Still controlled.
But enough to send another dangerous wave of warmth through her stomach.
Lia swallowed carefully.
"You do that on purpose."
"Yes."
The directness nearly ruined her composure.
Adrian slowed the car smoothly into the underground parking garage of his building.
The engine quieted.
But neither of them moved immediately afterward.
Rain echoed faintly through the concrete structure around them.
Silence settled inside the car again.
Private.
Too intimate.
Adrian finally turned fully toward her.
And the look in his eyes nearly made her stop breathing.
Dark.
Focused.
Affected in ways he no longer bothered hiding.
His hand remained firm against her thigh while he studied her face carefully.
"You're thinking too hard again."
"You make existing difficult."
A quiet smile appeared briefly.
Then disappeared just as quickly.
Adrian leaned slightly closer.
Close enough now that she could feel warmth radiating from him completely.
"You know what I realized tonight?"
Lia's throat felt dry suddenly.
"What?"
The look he gave her shattered straight through her remaining logic.
"I don't think I can pretend to share you politely anymore."
Her pulse stumbled violently.
"Adrian."
"I'm serious."
And that was the problem.
He always was.
His fingers tightened slightly against her thigh.
Possessive enough to make heat spread through her entire body.
Then softly—
rough enough to sound honest—
"Sit still before I lose the last bit of self-control I have tonight."
The confession wrapped tightly around her chest.
Because Adrian sounded affected again.
Truly affected.
Like wanting her this much physically exhausted him.
And maybe the scariest part?
The thought of him losing control completely no longer made her want to run.