Page 63 of Emily: Hello Kitten

I tug my necklace, feeling it tighten around my throat, and close my eyes. Who am I kidding? I want him to like me. I want him to want more with me than just sex. I want our fun moments outside the bedroom. I want to keep Adrian even though I have no business claiming him,can’tcall him my boyfriend.

I even hope Beth is right. Maybe this is love. Maybe I’m just too blind to see it.

Taking a breath, I pull on a cute top and black leggings that work well together. I toss my dark hair over my shoulder, put on enough makeup that I look like myself, then grab my purse and head to Adrian’s.

I pull into the garage again and hit the button to bring the door down. Adrian opens the door before I can and grips my shoulders, looking me over. Once he’s sure I’m not hurt, he hugs me tightly.

I press my face against his shirt and squeeze him. “I’m sorry I scared you.”

“Me too,” he says softly. “We’re not drinking tonight, though. I don’t care how you try to seduce me. We’re not drinking.”

“I’m not arguing,” I agree when my stomach lurches at the thought of alcohol. “I think it might be a while considering…”

“Let’s get you inside,” he says.

When he starts to lead me inside and I don’t follow, he glances back. I swallow. “Adrian, would you want to be with her?”

“No,” he says without hesitation. “And when she came up to me, I was too slow, I didn’t… I’m sorry. I told her no, not to waste her time. I said I was seeing someone and wasn’t going to jeopardize it.”

“You said that because of…” I trail off, studying his intense green eyes, made all the more intense by his dark skin. He takes a step back to me, then another and another. I back up until I bump into my car.

Adrian reaches out to stroke my hair and presses his body against mine. “I’ll give you one guess why I said that, baby. Just one, because that’s all a smart girl like you needs.”

I swallow hard. “But we’re supposed to be just sex.”

“Since when?” he asks, leaning closer until his eyes are all that matter. I might as well be staring into the sun. I want to look away, but I can’t. He grips my necklace tightly, tugging until I can barely breathe. “Since the night you left my house and didn’t return my text in the morning? Since I went with you to your sister’s wedding? Since I got you sober and took you home? Since we fucked in my car? When have weeverbeen just sex?”

I shiver as he loosens the chain around my neck. His lips move against mine without actually kissing me. “You are the reason I’ll say no to anyone else. You are the reason I can’t sleep on Fridays now. You, Emily.” He breathes sharply. “You own me, Kitten. From the moment I first saw you.”

“Adrian,” I pant as my chest aches for him.

“Come inside and let me show you how nice a night it is,” he coaxes. “No alcohol, no sex, just us.”

twenty-nine

This is more than I even thought it would be. I kept my feelings in check for so long, but now hearing him say it… telling me I own him… it breaks something inside me, and it can never be put together.

“I don’t know how,” I say as nerves rake through my spine.

His brows knit as he draws me closer. “What do you mean?”

My throat closes as I try to swallow. “I don’t know how to be… this,” I say, my hand waving between us.

His lips curl as amusement glints in his gaze.

“Be yourself, Kitten. That’s who I fell for and that’s the person I’ll never leave.”

“Even if I mess up again?”

He cocks his head. “You can never scare me away.”

My nerves fade and a snort escapes. “Don’t be so sure about that,” I joke.

He smiles, grazing his thumb over my lips. “There she is,” he says and leads me inside.

I follow quietly behind him as I’m waiting for my mind to go spiraling again, to lure me back from this happy place, telling me how wrong I am for being here.

But it doesn’t come. That little voice stays quiet.

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