The penthouse suite was dimly lit, the city skyline stretching endlessly beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows. Ava stepped inside, trying to remind herself she was here for a business-related discussion—a collaboration proposal Adrian had insisted required "privacy."
The door closed behind her with a soft click. Silence. Too perfect, too intimate. And Adrian was already there, leaning against the sleek marble counter, arms crossed, that infuriating smirk on his lips.
"You look…" he began, eyes scanning her from head to toe, "…even more dangerous than I remembered."
Ava swallowed, fighting the sudden heat rising in her chest. "I'm here for the meeting," she said firmly, trying to maintain the pretense of professionalism.
He chuckled, stepping closer, the air around him thickening with every step. "Right. The meeting." His voice dropped, low and deliberate. "But I can't help noticing you, alone in a penthouse with me… and all the things we didn't finish five years ago."
Ava's breath hitched. Her pulse spiked. This was the moment she had feared—and craved—simultaneously.
"I'm not…" she began, but the words failed her. She was already aware of how close he was, the faint warmth radiating off his body, the intoxicating scent of him that seemed to invade every corner of the room.
Adrian tilted his head, smirk widening. "You're not what? Not going to fight me? Not going to resist?"
Her knees nearly buckled. She clenched her fists, gripping the edge of the counter, desperate to find composure. "I… I'm not—"
Before she could finish, he closed the distance, hands resting lightly on her hips, eyes dark with desire. His lips brushed hers in a soft, testing kiss—quick, deliberate, impossible to resist.
Ava's body responded instantly, betraying her mind. Her fingers twined into his shirt, pulling him closer, igniting a fire she had thought long extinguished. The world outside—the office, the business proposals, the spreadsheets—disappeared. All that remained was the heat between them, the raw, undeniable pull that had never faded.
The kiss deepened, becoming urgent, fierce. His hands roamed her back, teasing, claiming, and every nerve ending in her body screamed in ecstasy and frustration. She tried to pull back, tried to reclaim control, but Adrian's lips were relentless, his grip intoxicating, and she was powerless against the storm he unleashed.
"God, Ava…" he murmured against her lips, voice husky, "…I've waited so long for this."
Her body shuddered. She gasped, trembling, trying to find air, trying to reconcile desire with reason. But reason had no place here. Not in this room. Not with him.
They broke apart for barely a moment, foreheads pressed together, breathing ragged. Her heart pounded. Her mind spun. She wanted to resist, to leave, to remind herself she was not the same person she had been—but the spark in his eyes, the commanding presence, and the memory of every stolen moment from their past made resistance impossible.
"You're mine," he whispered, fingers tracing the line of her jaw. "Even if you fight me."
Ava's lips parted. Words failed her entirely. Instead, she surrendered—to the heat, the tension, the desire that had never truly left.
He pressed her against the marble counter, hands exploring, teasing, claiming. Every touch, every brush of skin against skin, made her knees weak, made her heart race, made her pulse spike in ways she had tried to forget.
And then, just as the intensity reached a breaking point, he pulled back slightly, holding her gaze. "Not yet," he said, voice low, dangerous, commanding. "I want this… but on my terms."
Her chest heaved, body trembling with anticipation, desire, and the thrill of surrender. She could only nod, powerless against him, powerless against the overwhelming attraction that had never truly faded.
The tension hung between them, thick, charged, and intoxicating. Every inch of proximity was a battle of wills, a delicious, dangerous game neither of them could—or wanted to—lose.
And in that moment, Ava realized the truth: no matter how hard she tried, no matter how much she resisted, Adrian Black would always be the storm she couldn't escape.
Tonight was only the beginning.