Stay In My Apartment Tonight
Lia should've gone home.
That thought repeated itself constantly while Adrian guided her through the private elevator toward the top floor of Monteverde Holdings.
She absolutely should've gone home.
Instead—
she stood beside him in suffocating silence while the elevator rose higher and higher through the building.
Rainwater still clung faintly to his black suit.
His hand still rested low against her back.
Possessive enough to make her pulse stay uneven the entire ride upstairs.
And Adrian—
Adrian looked dangerous tonight.
Not angry.
Not cold.
Worse.
Like control had become painfully thin.
The elevator doors opened directly into his penthouse floor.
Warm lighting spilled softly across dark marble floors while the city glittered beyond floor-to-ceiling windows.
Lia stepped inside slowly.
Every time she entered Adrian's world, she understood more clearly how powerful he actually was.
Not just wealthy.
Untouchable.
The kind of man who could ruin lives quietly if he wanted to.
And somehow—
he spent all his energy obsessing over her instead.
The realization settled strangely in her chest.
Behind her, Adrian loosened his tie completely this time before tossing it carelessly onto the kitchen counter.
The movement nearly destroyed her concentration again.
Because seeing him slightly undone felt intimate in a way she wasn't prepared for.
Adrian noticed her staring immediately.
Of course he did.
His eyes darkened slightly.
"You keep looking at me like that."
Lia crossed her arms lightly.
"You keep acting unfairly attractive."
A faint flicker crossed his face.
Almost satisfaction.
Then Adrian stepped closer slowly.
Close enough now that warmth wrapped around her instantly again.
"You're flustered."
"You threatened my emotional stability in the car."
"I warned you to sit still."
The reminder sent heat rushing straight through her stomach again.
God.
Everything sounded dangerous coming from him lately.
The penthouse remained quiet around them except for distant thunder outside.
No staff.
No interruptions.
Just Adrian looking at her like he'd been holding himself back too long already.
Lia swallowed carefully.
"You've been intense all night."
"No," Adrian murmured softly.
His hand lifted slowly toward her waist.
"This is me trying to be patient."
The confession wrapped tightly around her chest.
Because Adrian sounded exhausted by restraint now.
Like wanting her had become physically difficult to manage.
His fingers settled against her waist gently.
Still careful.
Always careful with her.
And maybe that was why she kept letting him close.
The silence deepened.
Heavy enough to breathe.
Then Adrian's thumb brushed once against the satin fabric of her dress.
"You know what I hated most tonight?"
Lia's pulse jumped instantly.
"What?"
"The way people looked at you."
Possessiveness darkened his voice immediately.
Not loud.
Worse.
Quiet enough to sound genuine.
"They always look at people at those events."
"They looked too long."
Lia exhaled softly.
"You can't get jealous every time someone notices me."
Adrian's jaw tightened slightly.
"I can."
The honesty nearly made her laugh.
Almost.
Because the look in his eyes stopped her.
There was something dangerously sincere there tonight.
Something deeper than jealousy.
Fear.
Like Adrian genuinely hated sharing space with anyone who might take her attention away from him.
And maybe the scariest part?
Part of her liked being wanted that much.
Adrian's hand slid slowly higher against her back.
Warm.
Possessive.
The movement pulled her slightly closer against him.
Close enough now that she could feel the steady rise and fall of his breathing.
"You smell like rain," she murmured softly before thinking.
Adrian went still immediately.
His eyes darkened.
"You notice things about me now too."
Heat rushed into her face.
"That sounded less intimate in my head."
"No," Adrian said quietly.
"It didn't."
God.
His honesty would actually kill her someday.
Thunder rolled softly outside while rain streaked silver against the glass walls surrounding the penthouse.
The atmosphere between them felt dangerously private.
Too intimate.
Adrian's fingers tightened slightly against her waist.
Then softly—
"You should stay here tonight."
Her heartbeat stumbled violently.
"Adrian."
"I'm serious."
"That is exactly why I'm nervous."
A faint flicker crossed his expression.
Not amusement.
Something darker.
Affected.
"You think I'd hurt you."
The quietness in his voice caught her off guard immediately.
Because suddenly—
beneath all the obsession and possessiveness—
Lia heard insecurity.
Tiny.
Buried deeply.
But there.
She looked up at him carefully.
"No."
Adrian's gaze stayed fixed on hers.
"Then why are you nervous?"
The answer stuck somewhere in her throat.
Because honestly?
She wasn't afraid of Adrian hurting her.
She was afraid of how easily she let him close.
Afraid of how natural it felt standing here in his penthouse while his hands rested possessively against her body.
Afraid of becoming addicted to being loved this intensely.
Lia looked away briefly.
Big mistake.
Adrian's fingers brushed lightly beneath her jaw immediately, guiding her attention back toward him.
"You do that when something matters."
"You analyze me too much."
"You let me."
The quiet certainty in his voice settled painfully deep inside her chest.
Because once again—
he was right.
Adrian leaned slightly closer.
Close enough now that she could feel his breath against her skin.
"You know what I realized tonight?"
Her throat felt dry suddenly.
"What?"
The look he gave her shattered straight through her remaining logic.
"I don't want to sleep without you anymore."
The confession hit so hard she physically stopped breathing.
Not sexual.
Worse.
Tender.
Possessive in the quietest possible way.
And somehow—
that terrified her more than any jealousy ever had.