I stayed silent after that. I didn’t know what to say in return. This entire conversation wasn’t what I had expected when I came to her room. I’d thought we’d be in each other’s arms by now, that she’d say Nolan was a mistake and she and I should be together. Now, it looked like that was too much to wish for.
“I need to think,” Adriana eventually continued, and it was somewhat obvious that she was overwhelmed. “About you. About Nolan. About… About everything.”
There was a heavy pause between the last few words, one that hinted she was still hiding something. I had no idea what it might be, but that could be sorted out later. I couldn’t let her just leave me behind like this. I wanted to fight for us and what we could be.
But it could be the right thing to give her the time that she was asking for. I just didn’t think that I’d be able to avoid my own desire for her, or to shove it aside for as long as I needed to.
“Okay,” I eventually said, stretching the word uncomfortably long. “Look, I understand. Actually, I don’t, but I’m trying.”
She stared at me carefully, waiting for me to finish what I was saying. I wasn’t certain this was the right choice, but I was going with it. If there was a chance that I could win her over, I would take it. No other woman had lit a fire in me before like Adriana had, and I wasn’t letting her slip through my fingers that easily.
“How about a compromise?” I was aware that some of my professional tactics were seeping into this situation, but those were my best skills. I could convince the richest people in theworld to follow my suggestions. It should be possible to convince Adriana to go along with my ideas, too.
“What?” she asked, a frown forming between her brows.
“I’m not going to make you choose right now,” I answered, formulating my words in my mind as I spoke. “But I can’t just let you go, either. What if I give you the time to make up your mind, but we keep seeing each other?”
Her eyes widened, but she quickly drew her lips into a tight line. It didn’t look like she had much energy to keep talking. In fact, it was like there was something else on her mind, on top of everything that was already going on. I wanted to ask her what had happened. What else there was that was bothering her.
But I managed to keep my questions to myself. They could be addressed later. Right now, I only needed her to agree. We had time to figure things out and she had time to think. That’s all that was important.
Eventually, Adriana sighed and hugged herself, looking toward the floor.
“Look, I’m— I’m really tired,” she explained, and I could hear the exhaustion in her voice. “I’ve had such a long day. My mind is fried.”
I nodded in understanding. Dahlia’s bridal shower was already a big ask, but add onto that the personal stress and the fact that midnight was long gone and anyone would be at the end of their rope.
“Can we talk about all of this in the morning, please?” Adriana asked, finally looking up to meet my eyes. “I— I can’t think right now.”
“Yeah,” I agreed softly, before turning away. I headed for the door, with a small part of me wishing she’d ask me to stay. Iwanted nothing more than to lay in bed with her and hold her, but that didn’t seem like it was going to happen anytime soon.
As I opened the door, I heard her going into the bathroom and turning on the shower.
I paused. Normally, I was not the impulsive kind of man. Everything I did was planned and thought out meticulously, down to how full my glasses of water were during the day. I never did spontaneous things and strived for perfection in absolutely everything.
My thoughts were clear, my suits were pressed, my suite was spotless. Everything in order, as it was supposed to be.
But with Adriana, that had been thrown completely on its head. When she was around, my self-control seemed to fly out the window. I wanted to follow her on this adventure, wanted to join in her wildness.
I turned back, and closed the door. If she chased me away, I would leave, but something told me to try.
Purposefully, I walked toward the bathroom, the door to which Adriana had not closed. I knew she could hear my footsteps approaching. She wasn’t yelling for me to go, and that encouraged me to keep going.
I took off my suit jacket and tie, and placed them neatly on a nearby chair. I undid a few buttons and rolled my sleeves up. I wasn’t planning some crazy sexual exploits this time; I just wanted this connection between us to grow stronger. I just wanted to be as close to her as I could be.
Inside the bathroom, Adriana had undressed. When she turned to face me, we were both silent. I reached out my hand, and she took it. My heart began racing, but I kept a straight face. This was good. This was hopeful.
I led her to the shower, and she stepped inside. Hot water rushed over her and splashed onto the floor at my feet.
My shirt and shoes were getting wet, but I didn’t mind it.
Adriana threw her head back, letting the water run through her hair. Even in these subtle movements, I could take in her sheer beauty. There was something about her, something so alluring, so powerful, that it was impossible to resist.
When I thought about it, it was no surprise that Nolan had fallen for her, too. Frankly, I was shocked that Bryant hadn’t gone after her harder, that he hadn’t reached her first. She had a mystery about her waiting to be solved, a depth that I wanted to fall into, and a passion that was rare to find in anyone.
It had been one of the main reasons I had chosen her for the job. She had been perfect for it.
I undressed myself, intending nothing more than being close. Adriana took a step forward to give me space in the shower behind her. I felt some of the water splash onto me, but all of my focus was on her. On how the droplets raced over her skin, how her muscles moved ever so slightly, how her breath was deep and even.
