You Left Your Things Here
Lia didn't realize how much time she spent at Adrian's penthouse until she stopped going home for three days straight.
Not intentionally.
It just... happened.
One overnight stay became two.
Then weekend mornings tangled in expensive sheets while Adrian answered emails beside her in glasses that should not have looked as attractive as they did.
Then suddenly—
her favorite shampoo appeared permanently in his shower.
A drawer in his bathroom somehow became hers.
And Adrian?
Adrian looked dangerously happy about all of it.
—
Sunday evening settled softly over the city, painting warm gold across the penthouse windows while rain threatened again somewhere beyond the skyline.
Lia sat cross-legged on Adrian's couch surrounded by textbooks, highlighters, and academic suffering.
Midterms officially ruined her emotional stability.
Across from her, Adrian worked quietly at the dining table with his laptop open, sleeves rolled up, and complete billionaire focus written across his face.
Which should not have been attractive.
Unfortunately—
it was devastating.
Lia tried returning to her notes.
Failed after approximately six seconds.
Because Adrian loosened his tie absentmindedly while reading something on his screen and suddenly her degree no longer mattered.
Tragic.
"You've been staring at me for four minutes."
Lia nearly dropped her pen.
"You are literally not even looking at me."
Adrian continued typing calmly.
"I don't need to look at you to know when you're distracted."
God.
That should not affect her this much anymore.
Except it still did.
Every single time.
Lia slumped farther into the couch dramatically.
"You're ruining my academic future."
A faint smile touched Adrian's mouth before disappearing again.
"No," he murmured softly. "Your attention span is ruining your academic future."
Rude.
Accurate.
But rude.
Lia narrowed her eyes at him while Adrian finally looked up from his laptop.
Big mistake.
Because the second his eyes landed on her—
everything softened immediately.
Like it always did now.
The cold businessman expression vanished completely.
Replaced by something warm enough to make her chest ache.
"You're tired."
The quiet concern in his voice wrapped tightly around her heart.
Lia sighed softly.
"I hate studying."
"Come here."
The words came naturally.
Like breathing.
Like Adrian genuinely expected her to cross the room whenever he asked now.
And honestly?
That should concern her more than it did.
Lia stood slowly before walking toward him.
Adrian's attention followed her the entire time.
Focused.
Possessive in the quietest way.
The second she reached him, his hand settled automatically against her waist, pulling her gently between his knees.
Comfortable.
Natural.
Dangerously familiar.
Lia rested her arms loosely around his shoulders.
"You manipulate me with affection."
A quiet laugh escaped him.
Warm.
Real.
"You respond well to affection."
Unfortunately—
also true.
Adrian tilted his head back slightly to look at her.
And God.
The softness in his expression nearly ruined her emotionally.
"You've been overworking yourself."
"You text me reminders to sleep every night."
"Because you ignore your health when stressed."
The honesty settled warmly into her chest.
Because Adrian noticed everything.
Every skipped meal.
Every restless night.
Every tiny sign of exhaustion.
No one had ever paid attention to her this carefully before.
His thumb brushed lightly against her waist through the hoodie she wore.
His hoodie.
Again.
At this point she genuinely wore his clothes more than her own.
The realization made warmth spread through her chest.
Adrian noticed immediately.
"You're thinking."
"You've basically kidnapped me into living here."
A faint flicker crossed his face.
"Kidnapped?"
"You have my skincare products organized by category in your bathroom."
"No," Adrian murmured softly.
"I organized them by how often you use them."
Lia stared at him.
"You hear yourself, right?"
A quiet smile touched his mouth again.
"I like your things here."
The confession hit harder than expected.
Because he sounded sincere.
Not joking.
Like seeing pieces of her life scattered around the penthouse genuinely comforted him.
Lia looked around the apartment slowly.
Her tote bag sat near the kitchen island.
A cardigan draped over one of the chairs.
Books stacked beside the couch.
And suddenly—
the place really did look lived in now.
By both of them.
Adrian's fingers tightened lightly against her waist.
"You left your things here."
The roughness in his voice wrapped tightly around her chest.
Not complaint.
Something softer.
Almost wonder.
Lia looked back at him carefully.
"You sound emotional about that."
"I am."
The honesty nearly destroyed her.
Because Adrian Monteverde never hid how deeply he felt anymore.
Not with her.
Never with her.
His gaze lowered briefly toward the silver ring still resting on her finger.
Something possessive flickered softly behind his eyes.
Then he looked back at her again.
"You know what I realized?"
Lia's heartbeat stumbled slightly.
"What?"
Adrian leaned back in the chair slowly, pulling her closer with him until she stood completely between his legs.
Warmth surrounded her instantly.
"You stopped packing overnight bags."
The realization hit her all at once.
Because he was right.
At some point—
she stopped bringing extra clothes.
Stopped planning temporary visits.
Stopped treating the penthouse like somewhere she might leave quickly.
Heat rushed lightly into her cheeks.
"That's because you literally buy me things whenever I forget them."
A faint smile touched his mouth.
"You still stayed."
The quietness in his voice nearly hurt.
Because even now—
even after weeks together—
Adrian still sounded relieved every time she chose him again.
Lia's fingers brushed lightly through his dark hair before she could stop herself.
The reaction remained immediate.
Always immediate.
His eyes closed briefly while a soft breath escaped him.
"You do that like you're trying to ruin me."
"You're dramatic."
Adrian opened his eyes slowly.
Dark.
Soft.
Completely gone for her.
"No," he murmured quietly. "You just feel too much like home now."
The confession shattered straight through her chest.
Because suddenly—
Lia realized something terrifying.
She didn't miss her apartment anymore.