The kiss wasn't a rehearsal. It wasn't a performance for the paparazzi or a calculated move to satisfy a contract. It was an explosion.
Adrian's mouth crashed against mine with a starving desperation that stole the very air from my lungs.
It was almost like he tried to consume me. His tongue pushed past my lips, seeking mine with a frantic hunger, and instead of pulling away, I melted.
My hands, stupid bloody cursed hands, flew up to cup his face, my fingers digging into his jawline as if to anchor myself to the earth.
He let out a growl against my lips before his hands slid from my face to my waist, hoisting me up effortlessly.
I wrapped my legs around his hips, my silk dress riding up to my hips, but I didn't care. I couldn't care. The world was just the taste of scotch on his breath and the heat of his skin against mine.
We were both panting, our breaths hitching in a synchronized rhythm of pure want. I barely registered him moving through the dark library, my back hitting the soft surface of the oversized leather sofa, or perhaps it was the bed in the guest wing.
I didn't care where we were. I just pulled him back down, my lips seeking his again and again, like a desert traveler finally finding water.
He separated from me for a fraction of a second, his forehead resting against mine. His chest heaved against my own. He trailed a single, trembling finger down the column of my neck, tracing the line of my collarbone. I shuddered so hard my teeth practically rattled.
Then, he lowered his head, his lips grazing the sensitive skin just below my ear. "Alex," he rasped, his voice sounding like temptation wrapped in silver. "Are you.…..are you still a virgin?"
The haze of lust thinned just enough for reality to seep back in. I froze, my heart thumping against my ribs.
"Uh? What... I..." I tried to find a witty retort, a deflection, but my brain was fried. I turned my face away, unable to meet his gray eyes. "I am."
I was never a fan of sleeping around for fun. I was too STD conscious, and to be honest, the mere act of sex terrified me.
The silence that followed was heavy. Then, I felt the vibration of a low chuckle against my neck.
I snapped my head back to look at him, my eyes narrowing. "What's so funny? Is that a joke to you? A punchline for your CEO friends?" My defenses were coming back up.
"Nothing," he said, even though the smirk told me that it was NOT nothing. "It is absolutely nothing, Alexandra."
He didn't pull away. Instead, he leaned back in, his lips pressing a searing kiss to the hollow of my throat. I suppressed a moan, and dug my nails into the soft material beneath me.
He looked up at me, his gaze dark and heavy.
"Tell me the truth, Adrian," I whispered, my voice trembling. "Why were you acting like a lunatic about Sebastian? And why did you kiss me like that?"
His eyes narrowed.
"Like what?" Convenient. He ignored my first question.
"Like you were starving."
He looked at my lips again, his thumb brushing over my lower lip, which was now swollen and raw. "Perhaps I was."
The admission sent my heart into a dizzying backflip. Before I could process it, he straightened up slightly, his expression shifting into something more authoritative.
"I am changing the contract," he announced.
I blinked, trying to catch my breath. "What? What do you mean you're changing the contract? Is that even possible? Adrian, you can't just—"
"Section seven is gone," he interrupted, his voice firm. "No partners outside the marriage. Not for me. And certainly not for you."
What the hell? Is this some dream?
Adrian? Being possessive to the point of this?
"But Adrian, you can't just rewrite a legal document because you're feeling possessive!" I should have pushed him off. I should have stood up and demanded my rights. But as his hand began a slow, torturous trek up the slit of my dress, tracing the skin of my thigh, the protest died in my throat.
"I can," he whispered, leaning down until his lips were brushing against my ear. "And I'm doing it. We will only have ourselves. No outsiders."
He trailed his lips along my jawline, sending another jolt of electricity through my body. "You should go to sleep, Mrs. Reyes. Unless you want to find out exactly how wild an appetite I have when I'm not holding back."
I let out a tiny, undignified squeak. I gathered my strength, smacked him square in the chest, and scrambled off the sofa, nearly tripping over my hem as I bolted toward the nearest bathroom.
I reached the door and leaned against it, my heart pounding like a trapped bird. From the other side, I heard it, the clear, dark sound of Adrian chuckling.
"Oh, and Alex?" his voice called out, sounding too smug. "Tomorrow, you start at the office."
I yanked the door open an inch. "Work? At your office?"
"Yes. You have a brilliant portfolio and a stubborn streak. I need both. Or do you just want to spend the next year being a pretty trophy for my grandmother to dress up?"
"Fuck no," I snapped, the fire returning to my eyes.
"That's the spirit," he said. "Get some rest. You'll need it."