Adrian's POV
The moment she walked into the safe house, I knew I had her. Lyra could pretend she wasn't tangled in this mess, could lie to herself all she wanted. But deep down, she couldn't stay away. She thought she could outrun me, outrun Leo, But she was wrong.
I watched her step Into the room, her movements stiff, her eyes darting around as if she wasn't sure whether to stay or run. I liked that tension in her. The way she was always on edge around me, afraid of what might happen, but drawn to it all the same. It was a game we where playing for years, and tonight, I was going to make her see how deeply she was caught in it.
"I shouldn't be here," she said, her voice sharp, but there was a crack in it, she was scared. Or was it excitement? I couldn't tell, and that was part of the fun.
I leaned back against the worn leather armchair, smirking as I sipped from my glass of whiskey. "And yet, here you are."
Lyra stiffened, her eyes narrowing. "I came for answers, Adrian. Not games."
I couldn't help but laugh. She was so predictable, always pretending to be above it all, always thinking she could stay in control. "Answers?" I repeated, setting the glass down and rising from the chair. "You already know the truth, Lyra. This isn't about answers."
She took a step back as I approached, but there was nowhere for her to go. Not really. She hated, but she was still here, wasn't she?
"You're still trying to convince yourself you can walk away," I murmured,my voice dropping low as I came closer. "But we both know that you're in too deep."
" Don't flatter yourself," she snapped,
" I'm here because I need to understand. What do you want from me? Why am I still part of this?"
I stopped in front of, close enough to feel the heat radiating off her body. My fingers itched to reach out and touch her. I wanted to break her, watch as she realized that no matter what she did, she couldn't escape us. Couldn't escape me.
"What do I want?" I repeated, tilting my head as I studied her. "I think you already know the answer."
Her breath hitched, her body tensing as I closed the distance between us, my hand coming up to brush a strand of hair away from her face. She flinched at the touch, but didn't pull away. That was all the permission I needed.
I leaned in, my lips grazing her ear, my voice a low, and dangerous whisper.
"You. I want you, Lyra."
She shuddered under her breath, her chest rising and falling rapidly. Her hands came up to press against my chest, but it wasn't to push me away.
"This is a mistake," she whispered, but her voice lacked conviction.
I smirked, my hand sliding down her waist, pulling her closer. "Is it?"
Before she could respond, I kissed her, hard and unrelenting. Her lips parted beneath mine, and I felt the resistance melt away, replace with something deeper, something primal. She kissed back, her hands gripping my shirt as if she couldn't decide whether to pull me closer or push me away. But it didn't matter. I had her now, and I wasn't letting her go.
The kiss deepened, rough and filled with all the anger and tension that had been building between us for years. I could feel her trembling against me, her breath coming in ragged gasps as my hands roamed her body, claiming her. She hated me, I knew that. But hate had always been just a breath away from passion, and tonight, she was giving in to both.
I pushed her back against the wall,my mouth never leaving hers as my hands moved lower, gripping her hips with possessive force. She gasped,her body arching Into mine.
But something shifted. I felt her stiffen,her hands suddenly pressing against my chest, harder this time, and when I pulled back to look at her, I saw panic in her eyes. Her lips were swollen from the kiss, her breathing ragged.
"This...this isn't right," she whispered, her voice shaky. "I shouldn't be here."
I reached for her again, but she shook her head, pushing me away with more force. "No, Adrian. I can't. Not like this."
I watched as she scrambled to straighten her clothes, her eyes darting towards the door as if she was just realizing where she was.
"This was a mistake," she said again, her voice steadier now, I could see the guilt already settling in. " I can't...I shouldn't have come."
I could feel my blood boiling. She was mine. She had always been mine, whether she admitted it or not. And now, after everything, she was going to run? Again?
"You think you can go back to him?" I snarled, taking a step closer towards her.
"You think Leo will let you go after this?"
Her eyes widened, and I said the fear, the realization of what she had done. She had crossed a line, and there was no going back.
"You don't get to play both sides, Lyra," I continued,my voice sharp with anger. "You don't get to walk out of here and pretend this didn't happen."
She swallowed hard, her hands shaking as she reached for the door. "I'm leaving, Adrian. This...whatever this is, it's over."
I watched her go. As the door slammed shut behind, I couldn't help but wonder how long it would take for Leo to find out.