Tell Me You Want Me
The silence after Adrian said it nearly destroyed her.
Kiss me again before I lose my mind completely.
The words stayed suspended between them while rain hammered softly against the penthouse windows.
Everything felt too close now.
Too warm.
Too intimate.
Lia stood pressed against him with her fingers curled into the fabric of his shirt while Adrian looked at her like restraint had become impossible.
And maybe the scariest part?
She could feel herself wanting the same thing.
Adrian's hand remained firm against her lower back.
Possessive enough to keep her close.
Gentle enough to let her leave.
Always both.
His forehead still rested lightly against hers while his breathing sounded steadier than hers.
Controlled.
Barely.
"You say terrifying things so calmly," Lia whispered softly.
A faint flicker crossed his face.
"You still haven't kissed me."
Heat rushed immediately through her chest.
God.
He sounded genuinely affected now.
Not teasing.
Not composed.
Like wanting her had become painful.
Lia looked up at him carefully.
"You're impatient tonight."
"No," Adrian murmured quietly.
His thumb brushed once against her spine.
"I've been patient for weeks."
The roughness in his voice wrapped tightly around her stomach.
Because he was right.
Adrian had held himself back constantly.
Every careful touch.
Every pause before kissing her.
Every moment he gave her space to leave even while looking ruined by it.
And maybe realizing that made this even more dangerous.
Lia swallowed carefully.
"You act like this is difficult for you."
Adrian laughed softly under his breath.
Not amused.
Almost exhausted.
"You have no idea."
The honesty shattered straight through her composure again.
Because Adrian never hid how deeply she affected him.
Never pretended indifference.
Everything about him felt raw around her now.
His eyes lowered slowly toward her mouth.
Lingering.
Waiting.
Lia's heartbeat turned violent beneath her ribs.
"You keep doing that."
"Thinking about kissing you?"
Her breath caught.
"You really say every thought out loud."
"Only the ones involving you."
The confession settled heavily into the room.
Rain echoed softly through the penthouse while lightning flickered faintly against the skyline beyond the windows.
Adrian's fingers tightened slightly against her back.
Not enough to hurt.
Enough to feel possessive.
Like instinct.
"You know what the problem is?" he murmured quietly.
Lia's throat felt dry.
"What?"
"You're too soft with me."
The words caught her off guard completely.
She blinked softly.
"What does that mean?"
Adrian studied her face carefully.
Like he was trying to explain something dangerous.
"You look at me like I'm worth trusting."
Her chest tightened unexpectedly.
"And?"
His jaw shifted slightly.
"And I don't think you understand what that does to someone like me."
The quiet honesty in his voice nearly hurt.
Because suddenly—
Lia understood exactly what Adrian meant.
A man like him probably spent most of his life being feared.
Respected.
Wanted for power.
But trusted?
Maybe never.
And somehow—
without realizing it—
she'd given him that.
The realization softened something painful inside her chest.
Her fingers loosened slightly against his shirt before sliding upward carefully toward his neck.
The reaction in Adrian was immediate.
A sharp inhale left him.
His eyes darkened completely.
"There," he whispered roughly.
"You do things like that and expect me to stay sane."
Warmth flooded straight through her body.
Lia looked up at him carefully now.
"You really lose control around me, don't you?"
The silence stretched.
Then honestly—
"Yes."
No ego.
No pretending.
Just truth.
Adrian's hand slid slowly upward against her back until his fingers rested between her shoulder blades.
Holding her closer.
Like he physically needed the contact now.
"You don't understand how hard it is," he murmured softly, "to want someone this much."
The confession wrapped tightly around her chest.
Because Adrian sounded almost angry at himself for it.
Like obsession had become too deep to manage quietly anymore.
Lia's pulse turned uneven.
"Adrian..."
The way she whispered his name affected him instantly.
His eyes closed briefly.
Jaw tightening sharply.
Then he looked back at her with something dangerously vulnerable flickering beneath the obsession.
"Tell me you want me too."
The words hit like a physical thing.
Not arrogant.
Not demanding.
Almost desperate.
And somehow—
that completely ruined her.
Because Adrian Monteverde never begged for anything.
Yet here he stood holding her like she mattered too much, asking for honesty like he needed it to breathe properly.
Lia stared at him silently for several long seconds.
Then softly—
before fear could stop her—
"I do."
The reaction was immediate.
Adrian physically went still.
Not calm stillness.
Shock.
Like hearing the words out loud affected him more than she expected.
His hand tightened against her back while something raw crossed his expression too quickly to fully hide.
Relief.
Possession.
Need.
Then Adrian kissed her again.
Slow this time.
Deep enough to feel devastating.
Like he was trying to memorize the taste of her while pulling every confession she hadn't said yet from her mouth.
Lia's fingers slid into his hair instinctively.
Another mistake.
A low sound escaped him against her lips immediately.
Rough.
Ruined.
The kind of sound a man makes when he's finally getting something he's wanted too long.
And somehow—
he still kissed her carefully.
Like even obsessed, Adrian was terrified of breaking her.