Dont Fall Asleep Yet
Lia didn't realize how dangerous Adrian became when he was tired.
Not exhausted physically.
Emotionally tired.
The kind of tiredness that loosened his restraint and made honesty spill out softer, rougher, more vulnerable than usual.
And right now—
standing in his bedroom while rain echoed against the windows—
Adrian looked dangerously honest.
"You're becoming mine in ways you still haven't realized yet."
The words lingered heavily between them.
Warm.
Possessive.
Terrifyingly sincere.
Lia's heartbeat turned uneven beneath her ribs.
Because the worst part?
Part of her already knew he was right.
She noticed it in tiny things lately.
The way she searched for him in crowded rooms.
The way she slept better hearing his voice late at night.
The way being touched by him now felt natural instead of frightening.
Adrian had slipped into her life quietly.
Carefully.
And somehow—
he was everywhere now.
Lia swallowed softly.
"You say things like that too calmly."
Adrian's hand remained firm against her waist.
"You stopped running from them."
The honesty nearly hurt.
Because once again—
he was right.
Weeks ago, Lia would've laughed nervously or changed the subject.
Now?
Now she stood inside his arms wearing his shirt while letting him look at her like she belonged there.
The storm outside deepened.
Thunder rolled softly through the city while dim light wrapped the bedroom in shadows and gold.
Adrian's gaze moved slowly over her face again.
Focused.
Careful.
Like every expression still mattered too much to him.
"You're sleepy."
Lia blinked.
"How do you always know that?"
"You rub your thumb against your ring when exhausted."
She immediately stopped doing exactly that.
Adrian noticed.
Of course he did.
A faint darkening crossed his expression.
"You only realize your habits after I mention them."
"You monitor me like a security system."
"I pay attention because you matter to me."
The quietness in his voice shattered straight through her chest.
Because Adrian never sounded embarrassed about caring.
Never held himself back from saying it.
Like loving someone intensely wasn't something shameful to him.
Lia looked up at him carefully.
"You really mean every obsessive thing you say, don't you?"
A pause.
Then softly—
"Yes."
No hesitation.
No apology.
Just truth.
The silence afterward felt intimate in a dangerous way.
Adrian's thumb brushed lightly against her waist again.
Slow enough to make her pulse jump instantly.
"You still react every time I touch you."
"You sound very pleased about that."
"I am."
Heat spread immediately through her chest.
God.
He genuinely enjoyed seeing how affected she became around him.
And maybe the worst part?
She was starting to enjoy it too.
Adrian stepped slightly closer.
Close enough now that she had to tilt her head back to hold eye contact properly.
His expression softened unexpectedly.
Not less intense.
Just quieter.
"You look beautiful wearing my clothes."
The compliment hit harder than it should have.
Because Adrian sounded awed by it.
Like the sight genuinely did something dangerous to him emotionally.
Lia tried looking away again.
Big mistake.
Adrian's hand moved gently beneath her jaw immediately.
Guiding her attention back toward him.
"Don't."
Her breath caught softly.
"You always do that."
"Because you hide your reactions from me."
"You make having reactions embarrassing."
A quiet laugh escaped him.
Low.
Warm.
The sound wrapped around her chest painfully fast.
Then his expression darkened again.
"You know what I realized tonight?"
Lia's throat felt dry suddenly.
"What?"
The look he gave her nearly destroyed her composure.
"I'm addicted to your attention now."
The confession settled heavily into the room.
Not playful.
Not exaggerated.
Adrian sounded genuinely frustrated by the realization.
Like dependence irritated him.
Lia stared at him quietly.
"You say things normal people would keep to themselves forever."
"You prefer honesty."
"I never said that."
"You stay anyway."
The truth of it hit too hard.
Because Adrian noticed everything.
Every choice.
Every moment she stayed close instead of pulling away.
And maybe that was why he sounded so certain about her now.
His fingers slid slowly upward against her back again.
Careful.
Possessive.
Pulling her slightly closer until barely any space remained between them.
Lia's pulse hammered violently.
"Adrian."
The way she whispered his name affected him instantly.
His jaw tightened sharply.
Eyes darkening.
"You say my name like you're trying to undo me."
The roughness in his voice sent warmth flooding through her stomach.
Adrian lowered his forehead lightly against hers again.
The intimacy of the gesture nearly hurt.
Because he always touched her like she mattered too much.
Like he physically couldn't be careless with her.
"You should sleep," Lia whispered softly.
"No."
She blinked.
"What?"
His eyes stayed fixed on hers.
"I don't want to yet."
The quiet honesty shattered something inside her chest again.
"Why?"
Adrian's fingers tightened slightly against her waist.
"Because you're here."
Simple answer.
But the way he said it—
soft.
Possessive.
Almost disbelieving—
made her heartbeat ache painfully.
Like Adrian still couldn't fully believe she chose him back.
The silence stretched again.
Heavy enough to breathe.
Then Adrian's gaze dropped slowly toward her mouth.
Lia noticed immediately.
So did her pulse.
His voice lowered.
"Don't fall asleep yet."
Her breath caught softly.
"Why?"
The look he gave her after that nearly ruined her completely.
"Because I'm not done touching you."