CHAPTER 4: MAYBE I DON’T WANT YOU TO STOP.

Adrian’s POV

Ethan talks too much.

Especially when he’s testing boundaries.

He knew exactly what he was doing when he approached us because he wanted to see if I would react.

I didn’t. Externally.

I saw Ethan and Halle together, talking and I swore I could spot her almost laughing.

I didn’t like that.

Not the laugh.

The access.

Seeing her with him did something to me.

I started walking.

Not fast. Not rushed. But intentional.

“Too much fun?” I kept my voice calm, stepping between them.

Ethan’s smile sharpened.

“Relax, Adrian. We’re just talking,”

“I’m aware,”

Halle crossed her arms. “Why are you like this?”

“You’ll have to be more specific,” I stated, knowing what she wanted to say. But she held back the words.

I was territorial, I know, especially when it comes to her.

“Dance with me, Starlight,”

“That’s not an answer,”

“It’s the only one you’re getting,”

Ethan smirked.

“Careful, Vale. You almost sound affected,”

I met his eyes just long enough to shut him up, then turned back to her.

“I don’t get affected,”

But that was a lie. I was affected more than I’d like to admit.

I gently took her hand in mine as we moved to the dance floor.

We danced slowly. Quieter.

She looked up at me with her chin tilted, daring.

“You don’t get to order me around.”

“I didn’t order you,” My palm settled lower on her back, thumb tracing the subtle dip above her tailbone.

“You did,”

I leaned in closer, my temple brushing hers lightly.

“If I ordered you, Starlight… you’d know,”

Her breath hitched.

There it is. The reaction she tries so hard to hide.

“You think you have control over everything,” she whispered.

“I do.”

“Over me?”

Silence.

That was dangerous territory.

My hand slid up the column of her spine until my fingers curled around the nape of her neck, firm, possessive, thumb pressing just under her jaw so she’d feel the weight of it. I felt her pulse hammering against the pad of my thumb.

“You’ve never been something I wanted to control,” I murmured softly, my lips grazing the shell of her ear on the last word.

“Then what am I?”

I lowered my forehead to hers, slow, deliberate… like I was sealing something unspoken between us.

“The only thing I’d let ruin me,”

Her fingers curled into my jacket, knuckles brushing the crisp edge of my lapel. I could feel her heartbeat through the thin silk of her dress. Fast. Erratic, matching the heavy thud in my own chest.

The music from the reception had faded to a distant hum, the world had shrunk to the heat of her body inches from mine, the faint floral scent of her skin mixing with the salt air still clinging to both of us.

“If you kiss me,” she whispered, her eyes drifting to my lips, “everything changes,” her voice barely above a breath.

I tilted my head slightly, just enough that our noses brushed.

“And if I don’t?” I let out, holding her gaze, letting the question hang between our mouths.

“That might be worse,”

I exhaled slowly. A slow, controlled breath, the kind I used when I was calculating risk.

She had no idea what she was asking.

She had no fucking idea how thin the leash was right now.

“You’re testing my self-control, starlight,”

She didn’t move away.

If anything, she leaned in a fraction more with her lips inches away from mine, I could feel her breath. My hand slid from her waist to the small of her back, fingers splaying wide over bare skin where the dress dipped low. The silk was cool, her body underneath was fever-hot.

“I know,” she murmured, her thumb tracing the line of my jaw, slow, deliberate, like she was memorizing the tension there.

“Maybe I want to see what happens when you lose your self-control,” Her hips shifted forward, just enough to press the soft heat of her lower belly against me. A deliberate, filthy little roll that made my jaw lock.

My grip tightened instinctively, not enough to hurt, just enough to remind her I was still the one in control.

Or trying to be.

“You have no idea what you’re asking,” My voice dropped lower, rougher.

“One taste, Halle. That’s all it would take. And then I wouldn’t stop.”

Her eyelashes fluttered. “Maybe I don’t want you to stop.”

The words landed like a match in dry grass. My other hand came up, cupping the side of her neck, thumb resting against her racing pulse.

Mine was doing the same thing, traitor that it was.

I angled my head, letting my mouth graze the corner of hers.

Not a kiss.

Not yet.

Just the barest brush of lips against skin, enough to make her breath hitch audibly. Her fingers dug into my jacket harder, pulling me closer even as I held the line.

“Adrian…” My name sounded like a plea on her tongue.

The music was gone. The crowd was gone. Just her heartbeat slamming under my palm, her mouth half-open, waiting for me to ruin us both. I dragged my mouth along her jaw, slowly, deliberately, stopping just below her ear. My lips brushed the sensitive spot there, not quite touching, but letting my breath fan over her skin instead.

I felt her shiver.

It was unmistakable.

I wasn’t sure if I could control myself anymore as I was barely holding on to a thread that was seconds away from snapping.

At that moment, Damon’s voice sounded in my earpiece, snapping me back to reality.

“Movement. North exit. They’re leaving.”

Not now.

I pulled back just enough. Her eyes searched mine.

“You were going to,” she said softly.

“Yes.”

“Why didn’t you?” She asked shamelessly.

Because this isn’t safe.

Because once I start, I won’t stop.

Instead, I said,

“Timing matters.” Her expression shifted.

Hurt.

There it is. She thinks it’s rejection.

She doesn’t know how badly I wanted to rip that dress off her and how difficult it is to restrain myself.

I have to do this for her protection.

Halle’s POV

The moment lingered between us.

It felt heavy and unfinished. Intense.

I loved what he did to me. How he makes me feel.

I didn’t understand why he held back.

“Timing matters,” he said.

I didn’t know whether to feel relieved or humiliated.

Before I could respond, a loud, metallic crash cut through the reception.

Glass shattered. A scream followed. Then another. The music stopped abruptly, the string quartet frozen mid-note. Soft golden lights flickered and died, leaving only pale emergency illumination. Gasps rippled through the crowd.

“What’s happening?!” a guest shouted.

Chairs scraped across the sand, glasses toppled. Near the cake table, one of the decorative light pillars had collapsed. Larry’s voice rang out.

“Stay calm!” He moved quickly, pulling Rena close instinctively, with his arm around her shoulders.

Completely unaware of what’s going on, her eyes searched Larry’s face, confusion written across her delicate features. “Larry, what’s going on?”

“I’ve got you,” he steadied her.

Guests murmured, phones out, recording. The soft hum of panic spread faster than the flickering lights.

Maya, the event planner, appeared out of nowhere, waving her arms.

“Please remain seated! It’s under control,”

It wasn’t under control.

Adrian’s hand closed firmly over mine.

“Stay with me,” he said, calmly. But I could see he was tense because his expression had changed.

I looked around, trying to see what had triggered the panic but I couldn’t get anything.

Guests were scrambling, some tripping over beach decor. The groomsmen were helping stabilize the fallen pillar. A few women screamed, clutching their dresses.

Larry and Rena moved together. He whispered instructions to one of the security men, trying to keep order.

Adrian’s gaze swept across the room again.

Despite everything, I couldn’t understand how he was still so calm.

He looked at me. I wanted answers and he knew I wouldn’t let it go.

He leaned closer, “This wasn’t random,”

I swallowed hard. “What do you mean?”

“Someone wanted attention,”

“And they’ve got mine,” He said in a dangerously calm voice.

I was scared now, more than before. My mind racing with thoughts.

The world of the rich is so complicated and for a moment, just for a moment, I felt grateful I had a simple life.

But now, it wasn’t so simple because he’s now involved.

Who would do this? What do they want?

The crowd around us felt both immense and suffocating. Every guest was alive with confusion and fear.

Larry’s voice carried again.

“Everyone, please remain calm! The security is handling it!”

Rena stepped forward, glancing at the distraught room around her. “Larry, are we safe?”

“Yeah babe. Don’t worry, it’s being handled,” he assured her, though his eyes flickered toward the emergency lights and back to her.

Maya’s voice rang out again.

“Security, make sure all guests are away from the pillars! Please!” She tried to calm the crowd, but unfortunately, the panic had momentum.

Adrian’s grip on my wrist tightened as he led me through the crowd. We moved toward the center of the beach. Larry guided Rena as they tried to reassure the guests, her white dress brushing against the sand as she steadied herself.

I was pained seeing worry flicker across her perfect composure. This was supposed to be the best day of her life. Her dream wedding. Just ruined like that.

It was relieving and I felt grateful all this happened after they exchanged vows.

By the time we reached the safer part of the beach, we were exhausted.

“Stay here no matter what,” Adrian slipped off his tuxedo jacket and draped it gently over my shoulders.

I was lost in thought for a second, trying to calm myself.

“Do you understand?” he asked quietly.

“Yes,” I whispered. He nodded, satisfied.

Seeing how he sounded dead serious, my gut told me, this was far from over.