11-27-2022, 10:52 PM
The passion surprised her, maybe because she had been expecting something tame and careful; something that tested its footing before it revealed its nature. But he was sure of himself. His hands trailed anticipation, and branded her with warmth where they retreated. Afterwards, Natalie watched the heavy rise and fall of his chest for a long moment before her pale eyes lifted to his. She’d teased him so slyly about temptation precisely because she recognised it was a double-edged sword – and she was tempted for all the obvious reasons. But it wasn’t sign of his arousal that shivered her through with desire then; it was the iron-clad evidence of his self-control. The carnality of what it so neatly hid.
And how he waited.
Adrian had misunderstood her words, though it didn’t matter, and she felt no inclination to unravel that puzzle laid between them.
She’d been talking about accumulation of power; about why she intended to stay in a city she had made sure he understood she disliked. For while Natalie might use what advantages were born to her in pursuit of something meaningful, and do so ruthlessly, she was not naturally inclined to hoard or brandish power for its own sake. She’d been running from it her entire life. But her motivations now all coalesced upon a single point of light in the darkness – and in that, her heart had drowned too deep, and she already had everything to lose. It was why she was in Moscow at all, not escaped to some distant corner of the world to tame the restlessness of ghosts old and new, and do so in stubborn anonymity.
Her tone was hard not because it protected something fragile inside, and certainly not to inspire comfort for her losses or share fear of future ones, but because it was an indomitable fusion of promise and threat.
The brief flash of his own hesitancy, quickly swallowed by patience, suggested he had already second-guessed himself, but he was wrong in that too. Whatever he had thought she meant, his response landed on firm ground. Natalie might spy the hairline insecurities in his foundations, but she had no desire to worry at his flaws. She had no reason to. He was a fortress of a man, in more ways than one, and she wanted the refuge. “I’m not so delicate you can’t say it plain. You’re not reading me wrong,” she said, smirking as a thumb smoothed the line of smudged lipstick from her mouth. Briefly she wondered what had cut him so badly he reacted that way, or if it was perhaps just natural. He’d mentioned an estranged family, but some people were just like that; walled off bastions, even in times of peace. It didn’t matter to her either way. She wasn’t laying siege to a heart.
“You want me,” she told him, repurposing his own words, though it was expressed with rather more seduction than his cocky charm. The husky remnants of lust was still in her voice; she was well aware of it. Adrian could find a bedmate anywhere, as could she, if either of them chose. A throwaway passion; satiation of a moment. Natalie was well acquainted – in fact she’d been ruminating it only moments before, knowing the dalliance would burn any interest she had in Adrian’s investment after. She would cut the connection before he had the chance to. But if he had been right about one thing, it was that she didn’t want what she could get from anyone. “I’m tempted, I’ll admit…”
She was teasing him, blatant now, because she knew he was not going to clarify his intentions; that he wanted her to do it for them. She had no issue with obliging. In the club she had dismissed his reservedness as uninteresting and timid. But a peek at the joints between his armour told her otherwise. She’d wager Adrian was used to getting exactly what he wanted. So was Natalie.
“I like you,” she said, “and it will never be more than that.” There was no sentimentality to the way she said it, just the sensuality of silk across steel, and a gaze pale as distant starlight. No explanation, of course. Barely any space separated them, but she closed it until there was only a promise of heat. “I want you.” The whisper curled into the shell of his ear. Nothing but her breath touched, and if she was agonisingly close, it was not in invitation but anticipation. She wasn’t talking about just once. “I want whatever this connection is, for as long as it lasts. But I won’t be distracted by it.”
The cool rush of space opened between them as she withdrew. Her expression was impenetrable, but for the way the lingering hint of her smirk deepened to something quite wicked.
“You can think about it.”
[[you can assume she would head back to the car]]
And how he waited.
Adrian had misunderstood her words, though it didn’t matter, and she felt no inclination to unravel that puzzle laid between them.
She’d been talking about accumulation of power; about why she intended to stay in a city she had made sure he understood she disliked. For while Natalie might use what advantages were born to her in pursuit of something meaningful, and do so ruthlessly, she was not naturally inclined to hoard or brandish power for its own sake. She’d been running from it her entire life. But her motivations now all coalesced upon a single point of light in the darkness – and in that, her heart had drowned too deep, and she already had everything to lose. It was why she was in Moscow at all, not escaped to some distant corner of the world to tame the restlessness of ghosts old and new, and do so in stubborn anonymity.
Her tone was hard not because it protected something fragile inside, and certainly not to inspire comfort for her losses or share fear of future ones, but because it was an indomitable fusion of promise and threat.
The brief flash of his own hesitancy, quickly swallowed by patience, suggested he had already second-guessed himself, but he was wrong in that too. Whatever he had thought she meant, his response landed on firm ground. Natalie might spy the hairline insecurities in his foundations, but she had no desire to worry at his flaws. She had no reason to. He was a fortress of a man, in more ways than one, and she wanted the refuge. “I’m not so delicate you can’t say it plain. You’re not reading me wrong,” she said, smirking as a thumb smoothed the line of smudged lipstick from her mouth. Briefly she wondered what had cut him so badly he reacted that way, or if it was perhaps just natural. He’d mentioned an estranged family, but some people were just like that; walled off bastions, even in times of peace. It didn’t matter to her either way. She wasn’t laying siege to a heart.
“You want me,” she told him, repurposing his own words, though it was expressed with rather more seduction than his cocky charm. The husky remnants of lust was still in her voice; she was well aware of it. Adrian could find a bedmate anywhere, as could she, if either of them chose. A throwaway passion; satiation of a moment. Natalie was well acquainted – in fact she’d been ruminating it only moments before, knowing the dalliance would burn any interest she had in Adrian’s investment after. She would cut the connection before he had the chance to. But if he had been right about one thing, it was that she didn’t want what she could get from anyone. “I’m tempted, I’ll admit…”
She was teasing him, blatant now, because she knew he was not going to clarify his intentions; that he wanted her to do it for them. She had no issue with obliging. In the club she had dismissed his reservedness as uninteresting and timid. But a peek at the joints between his armour told her otherwise. She’d wager Adrian was used to getting exactly what he wanted. So was Natalie.
“I like you,” she said, “and it will never be more than that.” There was no sentimentality to the way she said it, just the sensuality of silk across steel, and a gaze pale as distant starlight. No explanation, of course. Barely any space separated them, but she closed it until there was only a promise of heat. “I want you.” The whisper curled into the shell of his ear. Nothing but her breath touched, and if she was agonisingly close, it was not in invitation but anticipation. She wasn’t talking about just once. “I want whatever this connection is, for as long as it lasts. But I won’t be distracted by it.”
The cool rush of space opened between them as she withdrew. Her expression was impenetrable, but for the way the lingering hint of her smirk deepened to something quite wicked.
“You can think about it.”
[[you can assume she would head back to the car]]