Chapter Ten

The cold air of the Chicago evening bit at Nora’s skin as she stood beside Adrian on the hotel balcony. They had left the gala early, a mutual, unspoken agreement that the night was too suffocating with the eyes of the elite upon them. The city below glittered with life, but here, on this high perch, it felt like they were the only two souls left in the world.

Adrian stood a few feet away from her, hands in his pockets, his jaw tight. She could feel the weight of his gaze, as though he were studying her, but not in the way he usually did. It wasn’t detached; there was something more there now, something personal. Her stomach fluttered, and she couldn’t decide whether it was the lingering effects of the alcohol from the event or the undeniable tension that hummed between them.

The silence was thick, neither of them willing to break it. Finally, Adrian spoke, his voice lower than usual, almost strained. “You’ve been quiet tonight.”

Nora exhaled slowly, a puff of white breath dissipating into the night. She leaned against the railing, her eyes fixed on the city lights below. “I’m just... processing.”

“Processing what?” His tone was soft, but there was an edge to it—concern, maybe frustration.

She turned to face him, her own expression guarded. “I don’t know, Adrian. It’s just—everything’s been moving so fast. I feel like I’m getting caught up in something I don’t fully understand.”

He stepped closer, the distance between them shrinking, but she didn’t move away. Instead, she let him in, just a little, her eyes meeting his.

“You don’t have to understand everything. Not right now,” he said, his voice quiet but firm. “I know I haven’t exactly been clear with you about... what I want. But I’m not asking you to have all the answers.”

Her breath caught in her throat. She could feel her walls starting to crack, just the slightest bit, and the vulnerability that came with it was terrifying. “What do you want, Adrian?”

He was standing right in front of her now, so close she could feel the heat radiating off his body, could smell the faint trace of his cologne. The space between them was small, but the weight of it was monumental.

He didn’t say anything at first, just stared at her, his gaze searching. Then, with a quiet determination, he spoke again. “I want you.”

Her pulse quickened at the raw honesty in his words. She opened her mouth to respond, but the words caught in her throat. She wanted to say something—anything—to push him away, to keep her distance. But she couldn’t. Not anymore.

“I’ve been trying to ignore it, to keep my head on straight,” he continued, his voice barely above a whisper, “but I can’t, Nora. I can’t pretend like I don’t feel this... this pull between us.”

Nora swallowed, her chest tightening. She had felt it too. The way her body responded to him, how she was drawn to him in a way she couldn’t explain. But love? She wasn’t sure she was ready for that. “Adrian, you’re... you’re not just some passing fling. You’re not just someone to scratch the itch for a night. This—” She gestured between them, “—this is real. And I can’t just ignore that.”

He took another step closer, closing the last bit of space between them. His hand reached up to gently cup her face, his thumb brushing over her cheek. “Then stop pretending like you don’t want this too. Like you don’t want me.”

Her breath hitched, her heart pounding as she looked up at him. She could feel the warmth of his hand, the strength in his fingers, and something inside her broke, just a little. “I do,” she admitted, the words tumbling out before she could stop them. “I do want you. But I’m scared, Adrian. I’m scared of what this means. Scared of what happens when I let you in.”

He leaned down, his lips brushing against her ear as he whispered, “You don’t have to be scared. Not with me.”

Before she could respond, his lips were on hers, urgent and desperate. The kiss was everything—raw and deep, as though they were both trying to consume each other. The pressure of his mouth on hers made her knees weak, and she clutched onto his jacket for support, pulling him closer.

Her body responded instinctively, the need for him overtaking any rational thought. Her hands slid up his chest, fingers grazing the hardness of his body, and she felt the heat spreading between them, intensifying with every passing second.

Adrian’s hands slid down to her waist, pulling her flush against him. She could feel the hard length of him against her, and it made her heart race faster, her body aching for him. He pulled away just enough to look at her, his breath heavy, eyes searching hers.

“I don’t want to rush you,” he murmured, his voice raw with emotion. “But I want you. I’ve wanted you for so long. And if you’re ready, I want to show you just how much.”

Nora’s breath caught in her throat as she looked into his eyes, seeing the sincerity there. He wasn’t just offering her his body—he was offering her his heart. She could feel it, the weight of his emotions, the depth of what he was saying.

“I’m ready,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “I’m ready for you.”

The words were barely out of her mouth before his lips were on hers again, this time slower, more deliberate. He kissed her as though the world outside had ceased to exist, as though this moment was all that mattered. Every touch, every press of his body against hers, felt like it was carving a space between them where there had been none before.

He caressed every curve of her body, marking his territory, triggering every sensory organ in her body.

They moved together, their bodies finding a rhythm, a sync that felt as natural as breathing. Adrian took of her clothes and she took of his They both discarded them carelessly onto the floor, but neither of them seemed to notice. All that mattered was the feeling of their skin against each other, the heat building between them, the growing urgency that neither could deny.

When they finally came together fully, it was like everything in Nora’s world shifted. There was no more doubt, no more fear. Just the two of them, tangled together, connected in a way that felt like it was meant to be. Adrian’s name left her lips in a breathless gasp, and he responded with a low growl, pulling her closer, deeper.

The world outside ceased to exist as they moved together, bodies pressing, heat melding until everything but the sound of their breathing and the beat of their hearts faded into oblivion.

When it was over, they lay together, tangled in sheets, their bodies still connected in the aftershock of what had just happened. Nora’s head rested on Adrian’s chest, and for a moment, she allowed herself to bask in the quiet, the peace.

But Adrian was awake, his mind racing as he stared up at the ceiling. His fingers traced absentmindedly over her skin, his thoughts far away. He knew what they had just done, and for the first time in a long time, he allowed himself to admit that he loved her. But as he lay there, listening to the steady rhythm of her breathing, another thought crept in—a thought he couldn’t shake.

The Sinclair Industries problem. His father. The arranged marriage.

Nora had no idea what he was truly up against. And as much as he wanted to just let go, to let her in completely, he knew that there were things he couldn’t share with her. Things that, if she knew, might tear them apart.

And so, he stayed awake, his mind consumed by the weight of everything he had yet to say to her. The weight of everything that might come crashing down if they didn’t find a way to make it work.