The silence in the library thickened, charged with something dangerous and undeniable. Isabella's breaths came in shallow bursts as Adrian's hand lingered at her waist, anchoring her to him as if he feared she might vanish.
She should run. Every warning in her head screamed for her to walk out that door, to retreat back into the carefully controlled life her father demanded of her. But her body refused to move. Her heart traitorous and wild wanted more.
Adrian tilted her chin up with the faintest pressure of his fingers. His eyes searched hers, not for permission he already knew the answer but for surrender. And she gave it, wordlessly, with the way her lips parted, with the trembling exhale that carried his name.
"Isabella," he murmured, his voice roughened by desire. "Tell me to stop."
Her throat tightened. Her mind screamed stop, but her lips betrayed her. "Don't."
The effect was instant. His mouth descended on hers with a hunger that stole her breath. The kiss was no longer teasing, no longer a game of stolen moments in the shadows. It was possession, fire consuming ice, and Isabella melted into it, her hands clinging to his shoulders as though she might drown without him.
Adrian's jacket slipped from his shoulders, falling forgotten onto the polished floor. His hands roamed the curve of her back, pulling her closer, until there was no space left between them. Isabella gasped as the hard lines of his body pressed into hers, heat searing through the thin silk of her gown.
Her rational mind fractured, scattered into pieces that could not be put back together. All she knew was the taste of him, the strength of his arms, the intoxicating danger of being wanted so fiercely by a man who lived on the edge of violence and power.
When his lips left hers, trailing to the delicate line of her throat, she arched against him helplessly. A soft moan escaped her, shocking her with its rawness. She had never sounded like this before never felt like this before.
Adrian's answering growl vibrated against her skin. "You're driving me insane." His breath was hot against her collarbone. "I shouldn't touch you. You're forbidden. But I'd burn this entire house to the ground just to keep you for one night."
Her heart pounded wildly. No one had ever spoken to her like that like she was worth risking everything. The thought terrified her. And yet, it thrilled her in ways she couldn't admit, not even to herself.
She tangled her fingers in his hair, pulling his face back to hers. Their mouths collided again, this time with the desperation of two people who knew they shouldn't but couldn't resist.
The world blurred. Adrian lifted her effortlessly, setting her down on the edge of the wide oak desk. Papers scattered, a glass toppled, but neither of them cared. His hands gripped her thighs, spreading silk and heat and recklessness between them.
"Adrian…" she whispered, torn between fear and desire, between the voice of her father echoing in her head and the truth screaming in her body.
He pulled back just enough to look at her, his eyes dark and unyielding. "Say the word and I'll stop. But if you don't, Isabella…" His voice dipped lower, rougher. "I won't let you forget tonight."
Her lips trembled. She should stop him. She should run.
Instead, she whispered, "Don't stop."
Adrian's restraint snapped. His mouth crashed against hers, their kiss fevered, consuming, inevitable. His hands slid over her hips, claiming every inch of her as though she belonged to him and no one else.
The fire in the hearth roared higher, shadows flickering wildly across the room, mirroring the chaos inside her. Isabella had lived her life in chains obedience, silence, duty. But here, in Adrian's arms, she felt free. Reckless. Alive.
Every brush of his lips, every stroke of his hands ignited something she had buried long ago: the aching desire to choose for herself, even if that choice led to ruin.
When at last the night claimed them fully, there was no going back. Their bodies tangled in the dim glow of the firelight, the library bearing witness to a union that was never meant to happen.
For hours, time ceased to exist. The world beyond those walls faded into nothing. There was no mafia, no fathers, no duty. Only Adrian and Isabella, two souls colliding in a storm of forbidden passion.
When it was over, Isabella lay against his chest, her body trembling, her mind struggling to comprehend what she had done. The steady beat of Adrian's heart beneath her ear was grounding, but it also terrified her.
She had crossed the line.
Adrian's hand threaded lazily through her hair, his breath still ragged but steadying. "You belong to me now," he said quietly, almost to himself. "Even if the world tries to tear us apart."
Isabella's chest ached. She wanted to believe him. She wanted to stay in this cocoon of heat and safety. But deep down, she knew this night would not stay hidden.
The consequences would come. And when they did, nothing would ever be the same.