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“Fucking hell,” he cursed, the words dripping hot and heavy into the space between my legs. Almost reverently, his free hand came up to make a slow pass over my center, hovering an inch over the lace covering me. “Tell me you knew this was going to happen.”

“I didn’t,” I said, shaking my head desperately.

That was the wrong answer, apparently. Adrian’s mouth fell to my upper thigh, his teeth nipping the sensitive skin there. “You mean to tell me this,” he said, his fingers brushing over the side of my underwear and making me jerk forward, “Is just normal for you?”

I knew what he was asking. I liked lingerie. Likedhow it made me feel, liked the carefully stitched lace and silk. I wore it every day, even under casual clothes. I nodded my head quickly, even though he couldn’t see me.

He seemed to understand my answer regardless, a low growl falling from his lips. The vibration landing too close to my core, sending a violent shiver through me.

“Mine, now,” Adrian said, his fingers slipping under the band and pulling them down my legs. His stare never wavered, not once. When I was bared to him, his hand crumbled the underwear, tucking them into his pocket.

I pulled on my hands helplessly. Adrian let me go, letting my hands move back into his hair. And then I realized that had been a bad idea. All it did was give him another point of contact with my skin, another place he could torture me.

His other hand slipped up my thigh, spreading me even more. “Last chance, honey. Tell me no.”

I shook my head, the motion more of a thrash than anything. I wanted him so badly it hurt.

Adrian looked up at me, something breaking in his stare at the sight of me. And then with our eyes locked together, he leaned forward and licked clean up my center.

A loud moan ripped free of my throat. Never,neverin my life had something ever felt so good.

“You have to be quiet,” he said, the vibration making me jerk again. “Or do you want me to have to kill anyone that hears you?”

The possessiveness sent a rough flame erupting in my chest. “I can be quiet.”

Adrian hummed, then his tongue moved again and I doubted I was able to keep that promise. I kept my lips wrenched together, rough, broken sounds tearing off in my throat as he worked me with deft, intentional strokes.

Of course, he was fucking amazing at this. But I could do nothing but roll my hips towards his tongue, press my thighs into his hands, and stare at him while he pushed me closer and closer to oblivion.

My face felt hot, my chest tight with pleasure. I wasn’t going to last. I was too shocked that this felt like it did, that I was even close to the edge from it when it had never worked before, to feel any sort of shame about it.

Adrian’s low groans of pleasure, like the taste of me was wrecking him, caused a whimper to escape my lips.

“Like honey here, too,” Adrian said with one long lick up my center. He punctuated it with a swirl around my clit, the tip of his tongue flicking with a deft stroke. My thighs pressed heavy into his hands, pressed heavier down into his shoulders, which only made him go at me harder.

“I’m close,” I gasped, surprised. Adrian caught the emotion, eyes flying up to me in their own show of surprise. His eyes narrowed in challenge and I knew then that his dark determination would ruin me.

His hand left my thigh, fingers slipping easily into my core. And when his fingers curled up, timed with a hard suck at the apex of my thighs, my release burst through my chest with a force that made my back bow, my head fall back to the wall behind me.

Adrian talked me through it, whispering praise in between long sucks and caresses of his fingers until Icame back down to earth, practically panting for breath.

“I—” I didn’t know what to say. Especially since the only thing I wanted to say—to ask, really—is whether that was transactional, too. To distract both of us. Or if it was something real.

“Don’t say anything,” Adrian said, answering for me, then placing a kiss to my thigh.

I nodded, not even sure I could speak if I wanted to. With care that I didn’t know Adrian’s large, strong hands were capable of, he straightened my clothes and helped me off the counter.

I swayed slightly on my heels, my body still not entirely stable.

Adrian’s hands held onto my shoulders, steadying me until he was sure I wouldn’t go crumbling to the ground. I stepped back, seeking out Adrian’s eyes.

I tried to prepare myself to see regret there, to feel dread slither and curl around my midsection like a snake trying to strangle its prey when his cold mask slipped back down and he called this a mistake.

To know that he felt nothing while I was at risk of falling in love with him if I kept this up.

But it never came.

All I saw was burning, raw desire that made my face feel warm, like tipping my head back to let the summer sun wash over me.