08-09-2025, 10:15 PM
Adrian had been patient with her all night. More than patient. He’d curated his presence to perfection. Never smothering, never really absent, just there enough to let her bask in the glow of his attention. He’d held the right doors, said the right things, let her linger in every conversation she wanted without the faintest hint of hurry. It was the sort of treatment most women would remember fondly for years.
The ride back to the hotel was calm and polite. But beneath the civility, his mind wandered back to Natalie. Another night, and another circumstance completely. Natalie had been like Colette in more ways than he cared to admit, sharp, witty, beautiful. That night, restraint had vanished in a rush of heat. That first kiss bled into gushing grips, hands and heat, the rich scent of her arousal mingling with upholstery. A brief, chaotic feast, for her, yes, but he did not recall it without welcome. He hadn’t expected that level with Colette. But neither had he expected… this.
It wasn’t the 'goodnight' that stung. It wasn’t even the refusal. It was the look. Fleeting, but there. Something in her eyes, a flash of judgment or dismissal, before she masked it again. The flicker ignited something dark in him. Not disappointment. Not wounded pride. Just clean, unexplained hate. Sharp and sudden.
He hated Colette, and it surprised him that he hadn’t known it until now for being so accustomed to the reality of his private feelings. He hated her measured flirtation, for the way she wielded charm like a leash and expected everyone around her to heel. For the falseness that clung to her like a scent that wouldn’t wash away.
For a second, the thought of reacting. Of grabbing her arm and not so subtly convincing her of the wrongness of her decision. He hovered there, electric and dangerous in front of the door. He could. He had the power.
Instead, he smoothed his expression into something warm and as unthreatening as he could manage in such a moment. “Sleep well, Colette,” he said softly, but it wasn’t a blessing. “You’ll dream beautifully tonight.” He would make sure of it.
The ride back to the hotel was calm and polite. But beneath the civility, his mind wandered back to Natalie. Another night, and another circumstance completely. Natalie had been like Colette in more ways than he cared to admit, sharp, witty, beautiful. That night, restraint had vanished in a rush of heat. That first kiss bled into gushing grips, hands and heat, the rich scent of her arousal mingling with upholstery. A brief, chaotic feast, for her, yes, but he did not recall it without welcome. He hadn’t expected that level with Colette. But neither had he expected… this.
It wasn’t the 'goodnight' that stung. It wasn’t even the refusal. It was the look. Fleeting, but there. Something in her eyes, a flash of judgment or dismissal, before she masked it again. The flicker ignited something dark in him. Not disappointment. Not wounded pride. Just clean, unexplained hate. Sharp and sudden.
He hated Colette, and it surprised him that he hadn’t known it until now for being so accustomed to the reality of his private feelings. He hated her measured flirtation, for the way she wielded charm like a leash and expected everyone around her to heel. For the falseness that clung to her like a scent that wouldn’t wash away.
For a second, the thought of reacting. Of grabbing her arm and not so subtly convincing her of the wrongness of her decision. He hovered there, electric and dangerous in front of the door. He could. He had the power.
Instead, he smoothed his expression into something warm and as unthreatening as he could manage in such a moment. “Sleep well, Colette,” he said softly, but it wasn’t a blessing. “You’ll dream beautifully tonight.” He would make sure of it.