Aria's Pov
My heart didn't slow down for the next ten minutes.
If anything, it got worse.
I stood beside my father while he spoke with donors and political allies, nodding politely whenever someone addressed me, but my mind wasn't in the room anymore.
It was on my phone.
On the message.
Meet me on the balcony in ten minutes.
I checked the time again.
Three minutes left.
What was I even doing?
Adrian had already warned me to stay away from him.
My father had practically ordered the same thing.
And yet…
The thought of not going bothered me more than the thought of getting caught.
Which probably meant I was making a terrible decision.
"Aria."
My father's voice snapped my attention back.
"Yes?"
"You're not listening."
I forced a polite smile at the group of investors standing with us.
"Sorry. Long day."
One of the men chuckled. "These events can be exhausting."
My father studied me for a moment, suspicious.
But before he could question me further, someone called his name from across the room.
He excused himself.
And suddenly, I was alone.
I checked the time again.
Ten minutes.
My pulse jumped.
This was ridiculous.
I should stay right here.
Ignore the message.
Pretend it never happened.
Instead…
My feet started moving.
The balcony doors were on the far side of the hall, partially hidden behind a row of tall decorative plants.
Guests passed me as I walked, but no one paid much attention.
Everyone was too busy networking.
Laughing.
Drinking.
The moment I stepped outside, the cool night air wrapped around me.
The city stretched below, glowing with thousands of lights.
But my eyes immediately found him.
Adrian Laurent stood near the railing, his back to the doors, one hand resting casually in his pocket.
He didn't turn when I stepped out.
Which meant he already knew I was there.
"I was wondering if you'd come."
His voice was calm.
Almost amused.
I walked closer, stopping a few feet away.
"You're very confident."
He finally turned.
Those dark eyes landed on me again.
Slowly.
Carefully.
"Not confident," he said.
"Observant."
My heart fluttered under his gaze.
"You knew I'd come?"
"Yes."
His answer was immediate.
I crossed my arms slightly.
"That sounds arrogant."
Adrian stepped closer.
Not enough to invade my space.
Just enough to make the air between us feel different.
"Curiosity is written all over your face, Aria."
My cheeks warmed.
"I'm not that obvious."
His lips curved slightly.
"You are to me."
The way he said it made something shift inside my chest.
Dangerous.
Unfamiliar.
I cleared my throat.
"You wanted to see me."
Adrian leaned casually against the railing again.
"Yes."
"Why?"
For a moment, he simply watched me.
As if studying every detail.
The red dress.
My nervous posture.
The way my fingers tightened around my clutch.
Finally he said quietly, "Because you didn't listen."
I frowned.
"To what?"
"My warning."
His voice lowered slightly.
"I told you to stay away from me."
"And yet you're the one who texted me."
His eyes darkened slightly.
"Touché."
A brief silence passed between us.
The tension was thick.
But not uncomfortable.
Just… intense.
"You shouldn't be here tonight," Adrian said again.
"My father made me come."
"That doesn't mean you should wander off alone with me."
"Is that what I'm doing?"
His gaze dropped briefly to my lips before returning to my eyes.
"Yes."
My pulse jumped again.
I quickly looked away, pretending to admire the city view.
"So what's the big secret?" I asked.
Adrian's gaze held mine for a beat longer
"The secret," he murmured, his voice low and rough, like gravel underfoot, "is that I've been watching you all night, Aria. Every smile you faked for those donors. Every time your eyes darted to your phone. You think you're hidden in that crowd, but I see you. I see the fire you're trying to keep buried."
My breath hitched. His words wrapped around me, pulling tight. I should have stepped back, but my body betrayed me, leaning in just a fraction. The cool metal of the railing pressed against my lower back as I retreated slightly, but Adrian followed, his presence overwhelming, his cologne something woody and dark mixing with the night air.
"That's not a secret," I whispered, my voice steadier than I felt. "That's just you being creepy."
A low chuckle escaped him, vibrating through the space between us. He reached out, his fingers brushing the strap of my red dress where it clung to my shoulder. The touch was light, almost accidental, but it sent a jolt straight to my core. "Creepy?
Before I could respond, his hand slid up, cupping the side of my neck. His thumb traced the line of my jaw, tilting my head up. Our eyes locked, and in that moment, the warnings his, my father's dissolved into the humid night. I could feel the heat radiating from his body, the hard lines of his chest beneath his tailored shirt inches from mine.
"Adrian..." My protest was half-hearted, my lips parting as his face drew closer.
His mouth crashed against mine, firm and demanding, his tongue sweeping in to claim every inch. I gasped into the kiss, my hands fisting the front of his shirt, pulling him nearer instead of pushing away. He tasted like whiskey, his stubble scraping my skin as he deepened it, one hand tangling in my hair to hold me in place.
the slick slide of his tongue against mine, the way his free hand gripped my hip, bunching the fabric of my dress. He pressed me back against the railing, his body pinning mine, and I felt the unmistakable hardness of his cock straining against his pants, grinding into my thigh. Heat pooled between my legs, my pussy clenching with need as his kiss turned feral, teeth nipping at my lower lip.
I broke away first, panting, my chest heaving. "We can't... someone could see, and you're supposed to be my uncle."
His eyes were black with hunger, pupils blown wide. "Let them, it doesn't matter. Let your father watch his precious daughter unravel for the man he hates."
He didn't give me time to argue. His hand slid down, fingers hooking under the hem of my dress, pushing it up my thighs. my exposed skin tingling from the air, but it was nothing compared to the fire of his touch. He cupped my ass, squeezing the flesh hard enough to make me whimper, then lifted me slightly, settling me on the wide ledge of the railing. My legs parted instinctively, wrapping around his waist as he stepped between them.
"Fuck, Aria," he growled against my throat, his lips trailing hot, open-mouthed kisses down my neck. He sucked at the pulse point there, marking me with a bruise that would bloom tomorrow, a secret under my collar. His hand ventured higher, fingers brushing the lace of my panties, finding them already soaked. He pressed against my clit through the fabric, rubbing in slow, firm circles that made my hips buck.
"Adrian oh god," I moaned, my head falling back, the city skyline blurring behind us. My fingers dug into his shoulders, nails scraping as pleasure coiled tight in my belly. He hooked his fingers into the side of my panties, yanking them aside, and plunged two fingers into my pussy without warning. I cried out, the stretch burning sweet, his thumb still working my clit as he pumped in and out, curling them to hit that spot that made stars explode behind my eyelids.
"So wet for me," he rasped, his breath hot on my collarbone. "This pussy's been aching for it, hasn't it? All night, pretending to be the good girl while you dripped for my cock."
I couldn't deny it. My body arched into his hand, chasing the friction, the lewd sounds of my wetness filling the air between us. He added a third finger, stretching me wider, his pace relentless. My orgasm built fast, crashing over me in waves as I clenched around him, biting down on his shoulder to muffle my scream.
But he didn't stop. As I trembled through the aftershocks, he withdrew his fingers, bringing them to his mouth. He sucked them clean, eyes locked on mine, the sight filthy and intoxicating. Then, with a swift motion, he unzipped his pants, freeing his cock. It sprang out, thick and veined, the head glistening with pre-cum. He stroked himself once, twice, lining up at my entrance.
"I'm going to fuck you right here," he said, voice harsh and husky. "Claim what's mine, Aria. And you're going to beg for it."
I opened my mouth to respond, but the balcony door creaked open behind us. Footsteps echoing, someone calling my name from the hall. My father? my father??
"Aria? Where the hell are you?"
Adrian froze, his cock poised at my slick folds, our eyes wide with the same realization we were seconds from being caught.