Adrian's POV
The front door shut behind me with a thud. I had expected the living room to be empty at this hour but the college kid with glasses, Leo, surprisingly was sitting on the sofa.
I would have ignored him on a normal basis. The boy was not my business. But then, he was sitting too close to Nirvana.
Their thighs were almost pressed together and touching. He had his arm stretched out along the back of the cushions, resting casually right behind her neck.
My eyes instantly scanned the room. I assessed the distance between the sofa and the front door. I calculated exactly how many seconds it would take me to cross the floor, grab the boy by his throat and throw him out of the door.
My jaw clenched so hard my teeth ground together. I stared at his arm, my mind picturing exactly where his fingers were resting.
Was his hand brushing against her bare skin? How close was he to touching her? I could easily break his wrist.
My gaze then found what she was wearing and a wave of possessive anger hit my chest. Nirvana wore a white tank top that left nothing to the imagination.
I could clearly see the shape of her t**s underneath the thin fabric. Her denim shorts were practically nonexistent, barely covering her butt and exposing her bare legs to the kid sitting next to her.
I wanted to grab Leo by the collar of his shirt and throw him out. I wanted to remind him exactly whose territory he was sitting in. But I forced my hands deep into the pockets of my dark jeans. I had to maintain the strict distance Ronan demanded. .
"Hi," I said. My voice was completely flat.
I did not wait for another response from either of them. I turned my back and walked straight to my room.
I did not turn on the lights. I sat in the pitch black room for some time. I pulled my handgun from my waistband and set it on the desk. I stripped the magazine and checked the ammunition by touch.
It was a mechanical habit that usually calmed my nerves before a hit. Tonight it did nothing to cool my blood. I sat with the stillness of a predator waiting in the shadows.
I listened to the faint sound of their voices bleeding through the walls. I waited until I finally heard the front door open and close. The house went silent and I knew he was gone.
Nirvana and I home alone.
I slipped the weapon back into my waistband and walked out of the office. I headed down the corridor to the kitchen. My boots made absolutely no sound. I knew how to move without making a single noise when I needed to.
She was standing at the counter with her back to me. She was pouring a glass of water. I did not announce my presence. I just walked up and stood directly behind her, letting my eyes drag over the exposed skin of her thighs and the tiny shorts riding high up her hips.
She turned around suddenly, shocked to find me standing right there. She gasped and collided hard into my chest.
I reacted instantly. My hands shot out and gripped her bare waist firmly to steady her, my rough fingers pressing into her soft skin.
"What are you doing?" she asked. Her voice was breathless and shaky.
"What are you doing?" I countered.
My voice dropped into a low, harsh tone that vibrated in the kitchen.
I glared down at her, interrogating her the same way I would interrogate a rival on the streets.
I gritted my teeth. "You were almost sitting in his lap. You invite another man into this house, and you walk around wearing a transparent shirt and shorts that barely cover your ass. What exactly were you trying to achieve, Nirvana?"
She tilted her chin up, refusing to cower.
“Are we finally done ignoring each other,” she asked, her tone laced with a daring challenge. She pushed right back against my authority.
The image of her walking around almost naked for another man flashed vividly through my mind. I almost saw red. The logical warnings in my head went silent.
“You don't wanna test my patients, baby.” I rasped.
She took another step closer to me.
“And what if I do?”, she whispered, her lips I chest from mine, teasing me.
The last shred of my careful control snapped.
I backed her up until her spine met the edge of the counter. I stepped between her parted thighs, trapping her against the cabinets so she had no route of escape.
I could not wait anymore.
I leaned down and smashed my mouth onto hers.
The kiss was desperate. It was a hostile takeover. She opened her mouth immediately, taking my tongue in without an ounce of hesitation. A feral groan tore from the back of my throat. She tasted like sweet water and pure temptation.
I dragged my hands up from her waist, gripping the sides of her ribs right through her tank top. I could feel her heart hammering beneath my palms.
She tangled her fingers deep into my hair and pulled my head down harder. She let out breathless, needy sounds that turned me on to the point of madness. I ground my hips flush against hers, pinning her to the stone counter.
I needed her to feel exactly what she was doing to me. I ground the thick, aching c**k into her soft center. She gasped into my mouth, her hips instinctively bucking up against mine to chase the heavy friction.
I slid my right hand slowly down her back, tracing the curve of her spine before slipping my fingers directly under the hem of those tiny shorts.
I gripped the bare, soft flesh of her ass. I squeezed hard, lifting her slightly off the floor to angle her hips perfectly against my c**k.
She whined loudly. It was a hot, desperate sound that went straight to my groin, making my entire body throb with intense, unbearable need.
I wanted to rip the clothes off her body right there in the kitchen. I wanted to clear the counter with one sweep of my arm, bend her over the cold granite and claim her so thoroughly she would forget every other man's name.
I wanted to mark her skin and remind her exactly who she belonged to.
But the memory of the photograph flashed behind my closed eyes. If I gave in to this hunger right now, my focus would shatter.
I could not protect her if my mind was clouded by lust. What the hell was I doing? She was Adrian's sister for f**k sake.
I tore my mouth away from hers, my chest heaving as I stared down at her flushed face. I quickly took my hands off her body, breaking the connection instantly. I took a step backward.
Nirvana stared at me. Her lips were wet and visibly swollen from my rough kiss. Her chest was rising and falling under the white shirt. Her brown eyes were dark with heavy arousal and confusion. She did not understand why I stopped.
"We are done here," I told her. I forced my voice to be devoid of the burning heat from just a second ago. I locked the predator away behind a wall of pure ice. "Go back inside your room, Nirvana."
I turned my back on her shocked expression and walked out of the kitchen, leaving her alone in the dark.
I walked down the hallway with my fists clenched at my sides. How much longer could I resist her before I completely lose my mind?