A couple of months ago, I was annoyed that he stood too close. Now I am annoyed when there is any space between us at all.
His mouth finds mine and takes me slow and deep. His tongue brushes against mine, and I shiver as my whole body answers.
I press closer, fingers curling into his jacket.
He groans softly against my mouth.
That sound goes straight through me.
I think about the dinner downstairs. The flowers. The table. Lucia and Nick and the children arriving soon. Vito and Teresa. Nico and Erica. The whole point of tonight.
Then Adrian’s hand slides lower, gripping my hip, and every practical thought in my head dissolves.
“We should call it off,” I whisper against his mouth.
He goes still for half a second.
Then his mouth moves to my jaw. “The dinner?”
“Yes.”
His lips trail along my skin. “That’s what I’ve been saying all along.”
I laugh, though it comes out weak because he is kissing my neck now, and that makes it very hard to sound reasonable. “I’m serious.”
“So am I.”
I tip my head back, giving him more room. Terrible decision. Excellent decision.
“We can try again another time.”
His mouth is at my throat, and I’m melting in his arms.
“Well,” he says. “Lucia and Nick will be here in about five minutes, but say the word, and I’ll tell my people to reroute them to your father’s place.”
My eyes fly open. “What?”
His hand slides beneath the edge of my robe, palm warm on my bare thigh.
“I’ll say you’d like to reschedule on account of having hot sex.”
I shove at his shoulder. “Adrian.”
He does not move. I feel him smiling against my neck.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I’m telling you now,” he teases.
I laugh despite myself. “I mean… You know what I mean.”
He lifts his head, grinning, and the sight of it, so genuine and unguarded, so rare, makes my chest ache.
He is not a man who smiles like this often. I see satisfaction on his face. I see amusement. I see a flash of danger. I see heat, lust, challenge.
But this? This happy light in his eyes? This is a gift.
I want to cherish every second of it. Unfortunately, there’s no time for that right now.
