When they arrived, she didn’t want to go. She didn’t want to leave Adrian as he stepped in front of her, taking up her hands. His eyes were so beautiful, his handsome height so perfect, his short black hair sexily mussed from the rain. Layla couldn’t stand it suddenly, how stunning he was. And now he beamed down at her, a smile softly curling his full lips as Adam stepped off a pace and pretended to be interested in the decorations on a Ming vase.
“The way you’re looking at me right now,” Adrian breathed down, his breath spiced with desert fragrance. “I feel like I don’t deserve a look like that.”
“Maybe not yet, but it’s what I feel.” Layla spoke, enjoying the smooth currents coiling between them. Adrian stepped closer, pressing one of Layla’s hands with a soft kiss as he watched her, one hand curling around her waist. Gripping her just a little; just enough to catch her breath and remember everything they had shared out in the woods.
“Don’t forget we have something to finish,” he growled as he pulled her close, cupping her hand to his chest.
“I haven’t.”
“Good.” Holding her hand to his chest, Layla could feel the burning heat of his skin radiating through his shirt. Adrian’s hand kneaded her waist like he wanted to manifest talons and dig them into her, to pin her against him. Layla’s breath caught and Adrian gave a wickedly alluring smile as he gazed down. She felt their beasts slide along each other, impossibly intimate like coils and hot scales. She felt their energies entwine and it was suddenly overwhelming – feeling so much of Adrian’s body touching her even though he hardly touched her at all.
It was like what he had done the night he stood outside her window; when he had slid his wind-heat up her ankles, then made it dive in through her lips. But this was more like their time at the opera; stronger, like that sliding, sensual wind had muscle and girth to it. Power, as it coiled around her. Power, as it slid in through her lips, kissing her and licking deep into her mouth like a tongue.
Power, as it slid up her inner thighs and pressed deep into her body – as Adrian held himself carefully away, watching her with his annihilating aqua gaze.
Layla trembled against him as that meaty deliciousness delved into her both above and below; lifting her chin and making her knees weak as she practically begged for him to finish it with his real mouth and phallus. But he gave a handsomely dark smile and left her like that, lifting her hand to his lips and giving her the full force of his burning aqua eyes.
“Until later, Layla Price.”
“Until later, Adrian Rhakvir.”
She was unsteady as he let her go, his magics slipping away as his hand did also. Everything surged with pleasure and Layla shivered again, loving it. The things he could do to her without doing anything at all. It flooded her with the possibility of what they might enjoy together and she flushed. An orange-bourbon scent swirled up around her and Adrian smiled, flaring his nostrils to inhale it – then turned, beckoning to Adam.
“Come on, you. Let’s discuss this shindig our clan wants to have later.”
But Adam cleared his throat, his gaze darting to Layla then back to his Clan First. “Um, Adrian. I did promise Layla to meet for dinner tonight and answer her questions about the clan.”
“Right.” Adrian blinked, and Layla watched him surface from sexy, smoldering mode to clan leader mode. He glanced at Layla, his brows knit though he didn’t simmer with mean energy against Adam’s suggestion anymore. “I suppose it’s your choice, Layla. Dinner with Adam, or do you want to party with the clan tonight? We can always do a clan-party tomorrow.”
He was being intensely reasonable, and for a moment Layla thought it was a trap. But his eyes were so luminous, so serene and clear, that she realized suddenly this was the normal Adrian – the Adrian everyone else saw regularly but whom she barely knew. An effortless leader, calm and collected without being rash, weighing the benefits and pitfalls of any action and taking into account the health of his clan. With a blink, Layla realized that she was seeing the real Adrian – and she liked it, tremendously.
“I would love to get some questions answered tonight, actually.” She spoke, some part of her still wondering if Adrian was going to be angry about her decision.
But he only smiled, continuing to beam at her with those amazing aqua eyes. “Sure. Adam, Layla’s case takes priority. Tell the clan they can get drunk together tomorrow night. They can do other things tonight. Dusk always has a number of evening activities planned at the Hotel – they can check with him and do whatever they wish this evening.”
“Clan First.” Adam gave a nod to Adrian, but a pleased smiled to Layla. He was looking forward to dinner with her.
Smiling gently at Layla, Adrian spoke again. “Enjoy your evening; get your questions answered. I have some business to attend to, but I’ll be up in residence on the fourth floor for the next week. I would love to schedule a dinner with you also – or a few, if you’ll have me.”
“Of course.” Layla smiled at him, feeling her heart smile also.
Adrian saw it and beamed. With a chuckling laugh, he beckoned for Adam, then turned away, moving off with his Second down the hall. Layla watched them go, smiling, then ducked in through her door, closing it softly behind her.
Leaning back against the door, Layla let out a long breath. Her body still roiled with heat from how Adrian had kissed her before his departure. As if his energy still poured through her, Layla felt a deep, hot sensuality curl through her again, stroking through her body like a hand. She closed her eyes in the afterglow, feeling like that warm hand stroked up her neck, playing over her throat; gripping her gently. Layla gasped, making a pleasured sound as she leaned back against the door. That warm energy spilled up and in through her lips; kissing her. And then it dissipated on a cinnamon-spice breeze – as Adrian’s baritone chuckle rolled through her ears.
She saw a flash of aqua eyes in her mind.
And then he was gone.
“You bastard.” Layla breathed to the empty room, her lips curling into a smile.
But he was well and truly gone now, and did not answer. Smiling more, Layla pushed away from the door and stepped to the walk-in closet to shuck her sodden riding attire. It was only then she realized she was still wearing Adrian’s riding jacket and she lifted one lapel, inhaling his scent. It made her smile again and she undressed quickly, taking her silk robe from its peg and sliding into it, cinching the sash.
Still smiling, Layla headed for her gilded bathroom. At the last moment, she picked up Adrian’s jacket, taking it with her. Settling to a silk ottoman beside the claw-foot tub, she turned the chromed handles and started water for a bath, balancing the hot and cold. Remembering how the storm had balanced her and Adrian’s heat earlier, Layla shed her silk robe, then stepped over the porcelain rim of the tub. Sinking into the water, she heaved a sigh, settling her head on the angled backrest.
Her fingers stole out, lifting Adrian’s jacket from the ottoman. Bringing it to her lips, she inhaled his scent. Cinnamon-jasmine musk eased up into the curling steam, reminding Layla of the mirage of heat and rain that had risen up around her and Adrian earlier.
Her lips smiled more and she set the jacket aside.
