Tell Me To Stop
Adrian changed after she kissed him first.
Not suddenly.
Not dramatically.
Worse.
Subtly.
Like something possessive inside him relaxed now that he finally knew she wanted him just as badly.
And somehow—
that made him even more dangerous.
The kiss deepened slowly while rain echoed against the penthouse windows.
Adrian's hands stayed firm around her waist, holding her close enough that breathing felt impossible.
Every movement between them felt devastating now.
Not rushed.
Not careless.
Intentional.
Like Adrian wanted to memorize every second of this.
Lia's fingers remained tangled lightly in his hair while his mouth moved against hers with the kind of restraint that only made the tension worse.
Because even now—
even obsessed—
he still held back for her.
The realization made her chest ache painfully.
Adrian pulled back first this time.
Barely.
Just enough to breathe.
Big mistake.
Because the second Lia saw his expression—
her heartbeat stumbled violently.
He looked ruined.
Dark eyes unfocused slightly.
Breathing uneven.
Forehead resting lightly against hers while his hands tightened around her waist like instinct.
The sight nearly destroyed her emotionally.
"You kissed me first," he whispered roughly.
Heat rushed immediately through her chest.
"You sound shocked."
"I am."
The honesty wrapped tightly around her spine.
Because Adrian genuinely sounded overwhelmed by it.
Like she'd just handed him something too precious to process properly.
His thumbs brushed slowly against her waist beneath the oversized shirt.
"You have no idea what that did to me."
Lia swallowed carefully.
"You say that after literally everything."
A rough laugh escaped him softly.
"Because everything you do affects me too much."
The confession settled heavily into the room.
Rain slid softly against the glass while thunder echoed somewhere distant across the city.
Inside the bedroom, everything felt too warm.
Too intimate.
Adrian looked at her like he couldn't stop.
Like wanting her had become instinct instead of choice.
His gaze moved slowly across her face.
Focused.
Almost reverent again.
Then lower.
Toward her mouth.
Lingering.
Lia noticed immediately.
So did her pulse.
"You're staring again," she whispered softly.
Adrian's fingers tightened slightly at her waist.
"You kissed me first."
"You already said that."
"And I still haven't recovered from it."
God.
The honesty again.
It genuinely made survival impossible around him.
Adrian leaned closer slowly, his nose brushing softly against hers.
"You know what the problem is?"
Lia's throat felt dry.
"What?"
His voice lowered.
"You're getting comfortable touching me."
The roughness in his tone wrapped tightly around her stomach.
Because he sounded affected by that realization.
Deeply affected.
Lia looked up at him carefully.
"You act like that's dangerous."
"It is."
His hand slid slowly higher beneath the oversized shirt against her back.
Warm skin against warm skin.
The touch stole her breath immediately.
Adrian noticed.
Of course he did.
A low sound escaped him softly under his breath.
"There."
Her heartbeat turned uneven.
"What?"
"That reaction."
His eyes darkened completely.
"You don't even try hiding it from me anymore."
The truth of that nearly ruined her composure.
Because somewhere along the way—
Lia stopped pretending Adrian didn't affect her physically.
Emotionally.
Completely.
Adrian's forehead pressed more firmly against hers.
Like he needed the closeness now.
Like distance physically irritated him.
"You know what I think about constantly?"
The question came rough.
Dangerously honest.
Lia swallowed carefully.
"What?"
His fingers curled lightly against the skin at her back.
"Touching you."
Heat flooded instantly through her chest.
"Adrian."
"No," he murmured softly.
His eyes stayed fixed on hers.
"You wanted honesty."
The confession settled heavily between them.
Because he wasn't saying it to shock her.
He was confessing.
Every thought.
Every weakness.
Every obsessive instinct he couldn't control anymore.
His thumb moved slowly against her back again.
Tiny movement.
Enough to make her breathing uneven.
Adrian noticed immediately.
"You melt every time I touch you like this."
The roughness in his voice wrapped tightly around her spine.
Lia's fingers tightened instinctively against his shoulders.
Mistake.
Adrian physically inhaled sharply.
His eyes closed briefly before reopening darker than before.
"You keep doing things like that."
"Like what?"
"Touching me back."
The quiet honesty nearly hurt.
Because Adrian sounded like every bit of affection from her still overwhelmed him.
The silence stretched.
Heavy enough to drown in.
Then Adrian lifted one hand slowly from her waist toward her throat.
Careful fingers brushing lightly beneath her jaw.
Not possessive enough to hurt.
Possessive enough to make her pulse jump instantly.
His gaze stayed locked on her face while his thumb traced softly along her skin.
"You trust me here."
Not question.
Realization.
Lia's breathing turned uneven again.
"You've never made me afraid of you."
The words hit him hard.
She saw it happen immediately.
Adrian went still.
Completely still.
Then his hand tightened ever so slightly beneath her jaw while something raw flickered across his face.
"You should be careful saying things like that to someone like me."
The roughness in his voice sent warmth straight through her chest.
Because Adrian sounded wrecked by her trust.
Like it affected him even more deeply than desire.
He leaned closer again slowly.
Close enough that his lips brushed lightly against hers without fully kissing her.
Teasing.
Dangerous.
"Tell me to stop," he whispered softly.
Her heartbeat stumbled violently.
Because he didn't sound like he wanted her to.
He sounded like he physically couldn't unless she asked.