You Smell Like My Apartment
Lia officially stopped denying she practically lived with Adrian after the third package arrived for her at the penthouse.
Not because she ordered it there accidentally.
Because Adrian had entered the address into her shopping apps himself.
Without asking.
Which honestly should have alarmed her more than it did.
Instead—
she stared at him across the kitchen island while he calmly signed for her skincare delivery like this was perfectly normal behavior.
"You changed my delivery address."
Adrian looked up briefly from the package.
"You're here more than your apartment."
"That is not the point."
A faint flicker crossed his face.
"You kept forgetting to bring things."
God.
That logic actually made sense.
Which was deeply upsetting.
Rain poured outside again, turning the city beyond the windows silver and blurred while soft lighting warmed the penthouse.
Lia sat at the kitchen island wearing one of Adrian's shirts and fuzzy socks because apparently she'd reached the stage of the relationship where comfort fully replaced dignity.
Adrian seemed dangerously pleased about it.
He opened the package carefully before setting her products beside her.
Organized.
Of course.
Because Adrian Monteverde apparently believed skincare required operational efficiency.
"You sorted them."
"You use these first."
Lia stared at him in disbelief.
"You know my skincare routine."
"I know a lot about you."
The quietness in his voice wrapped tightly around her chest.
Because he did.
Far too much.
Adrian knew how she took her coffee depending on stress levels.
Knew which blanket she reached for first when tired.
Knew she hummed softly while studying without realizing it.
And somehow—
instead of frightening her now—
the attention made her feel loved.
That realization terrified her more than anything else.
Adrian walked around the island slowly before stopping between her knees.
Warm hands settled automatically against her thighs.
Comfortable.
Natural.
Like touching her whenever he wanted had become instinct.
Lia tilted her head slightly.
"You look suspiciously affectionate tonight."
A low laugh escaped him.
"I'm always affectionate with you."
"Yeah but tonight feels worse."
His mouth twitched faintly.
"Worse?"
"You keep staring at me like you're emotionally compromised."
The smile finally appeared fully.
Warm enough to ruin her.
"That's because you're wearing my clothes in my kitchen."
Heat rushed instantly through her chest.
God.
Everything sounded intimate when Adrian said it.
His fingers brushed lightly against the fabric resting over her thighs before his gaze lifted slowly back to hers.
"You used your key again today."
The roughness in his voice wrapped tightly around her spine.
Not accusation.
Satisfaction.
Like every reminder she chose to return here physically calmed something obsessive inside him.
Lia shrugged lightly despite the warmth flooding her chest.
"You gave it to me."
"I know."
His thumbs moved slowly against her legs.
"You came home before I did."
There it was again.
Home.
Adrian no longer even tried pretending the penthouse belonged only to him.
And maybe the scariest part?
Lia had stopped correcting him completely.
The silence softened around them while rain tapped steadily against the windows.
Adrian studied her carefully for several long seconds before speaking again.
"You smell like my apartment now."
The words hit so unexpectedly that Lia physically blinked.
"What?"
A faint smile touched his mouth.
"Your perfume mixed with my detergent."
Heat spread violently into her cheeks.
"That is an insane observation."
"It's true."
God.
The terrifying part was that he sounded completely serious.
Adrian leaned slightly closer, his hands sliding slowly from her thighs to her waist beneath the oversized shirt.
Warm skin against warm skin.
The touch made her breathing uneven immediately.
His eyes darkened softly at the reaction.
"There."
"What?"
"That look."
His thumbs brushed lightly against her waist.
"You still react every time I touch you like this."
Lia tried looking away instinctively.
Immediate mistake.
Adrian's fingers tilted her chin back gently.
"No hiding."
"You make existing difficult."
"No," he murmured softly.
His forehead rested lightly against hers.
"I make you loved."
The words wrapped tightly around her heart.
Because Adrian said things like that so naturally now.
Like loving her openly had become instinct instead of choice.
Lia's fingers lifted slowly into his 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 too often."
"You complain a lot for someone who likes it."
A quiet laugh escaped him.
Warm.
Ruined around the edges.
Then his gaze drifted past her shoulder toward the living room.
Toward the scattered evidence of her existence across the penthouse.
Her tote bag near the couch.
Her charger beside his laptop.
A hoodie hanging over the dining chair.
His expression softened even more somehow.
"You know what I realized earlier?"
Lia's heartbeat stumbled slightly.
"What?"
Adrian looked back at her slowly.
"I stopped noticing which things are yours and which are mine."
The confession shattered straight through her chest.
Because suddenly—
she realized he meant it literally.
Their lives had blended together so naturally neither of them noticed anymore.
Her shampoo beside his.
His hoodies on her side of the bed.
Coffee mugs mixed in the sink.
Tiny domestic habits built quietly over weeks.
Lia stared at him silently.
And for the first time—
the reality of how serious this had become fully settled over her.
Adrian noticed immediately.
"You're thinking too hard again."
"You say terrifyingly intimate things casually."
A faint smile touched his mouth.
"You love when I do that."
Unfortunately—
he was right.
His hands tightened gently at her waist before he leaned closer, brushing a slow kiss against her forehead.
Then another near her temple.
Soft.
Affectionate.
Like touching her gently still mattered too much to him.
When he pulled back, his eyes stayed fixed completely on hers.
Dark.
Warm.
Completely gone.
Then quietly—
with enough sincerity to ruin her emotionally—
"You fit into my life so easily it scares me sometimes."