CHAPTER 180: THE UNIVERSE IN MY ARMS [II]

Isabella’s eyes flutter shut, the kiss growing more urgent, more desperate. She whimpers into my mouth, small, broken sounds that make me want to both protect her and consume her at the same time.

My hands roam over her back, possessive, rough, and almost bruising. I’m trying to hold back, I’m trying to remember that she’s vulnerable, that we’re in the middle of a damn helicopter, but it’s almost impossible.

I finally manage to rip my lips away from hers, even though my body protests the separation. My breathing is ragged, my pulse still racing.

I lean my forehead against hers, my eyes still closed as I fight for some semblance of control. My hands, still gripping her hips almost painfully tight, finally loosen their grip.

"We have to stop," I manage to grate out, my voice raw and hoarse. "We’re almost there. We can’t—"

Her body is still pressing against mine, still insistent and needy. She’s panting, her skin flushed with heat, and the sight of her like this is nearly my undoing.

My fingers dig into her hips again, my body taut as a bowstring. "Sweet Jesus," I mutter, my eyes clenching shut. "Isabella, please. We need to slow down."

Despite my words, my hands rove over her body with a mind of their own. I trace the contour of her breast, the curve of her hip, as if trying to sear her shape into my fingertips.

My mouth finds her neck, and I nuzzle the soft skin there, breathing in her scent. It’s both familiar and intoxicating, a heady mix that only fuels the fire within me, makes me want to drown in her completely.

"You’re so goddamn difficult to resist," I say, my voice rough against her neck.

I pull her harder against my lap, the pressure of her body against mine adding fuel to the fire. Her hips rock against mine in a slow, deliberate movement, a silent plea for more, and it takes every ounce of my self-control not to rip her dress off right here.

"You’re a goddamn drug," I rasp, catching her lips in a kiss that’s all teeth and heat. "A dangerous, sweet, addictive drug, and I’m hopelessly hooked on you."

ISABELLA’S POV

The helicopter’s descent was smooth, but the moment the skids touched down, I felt Adrien tense beneath me like he was preparing for war.

The cabin door swung open with a rush of night air and mechanical precision. The lights from the mansion bathed everything in a soft, golden glow. Standing at the edge of the helipad was a woman in a tailored black coat and no-nonsense heels—Dr. Kassel, I presumed. She held a sleek black medical case in one hand, her face unreadable, and gaze carefully averted from me.

Adrien didn’t move at first.

His breath ghosted against my lips, reluctant to let go.

Then, slowly, his lips dragged from mine and his hand cradled the back of my head like he wasn’t ready to let me go. His voice, when it came, was calm—but cold enough to cut steel.

"We won’t be needing you tonight. Leave the antidote outside the bedroom door. That’s all."

Dr. Kassel simply gave a crisp nod and stepped aside, placing the black case neatly on the stone path leading to the mansion’s side entrance. Silent, swift, and obedient.

Adrien adjusted his jacket around my body again, shielding me as he stepped out onto the helipad with me still in his arms. The wind from the rotors whipped at my hair, but I barely felt it—I was cocooned in his scent, his strength, the thrumming heat of his chest against my cheek.

The instant Adrien’s boots hit the stone path, Thomas appeared at the mansion’s side entrance, his expression as composed as ever. A brief glance flicked to me in Adrien’s arms, but he said nothing, only stepped aside and bowed slightly.

"You’re dismissed," he said firmly. "I’ll handle everything from here. Ensure we’re not disturbed for the rest of the night."

"Yes, sir." Thomas vanished like a ghost, the heavy door swinging inward without a sound.

Adrien carried me through the long, dimly lit corridors of the Mansion, his strides devouring the distance. Every staff member that crossed our path disappeared into the shadows, avoiding Adrien’s line of sight as though survival depended on it. The mansion felt different tonight—quieter, heavier, charged with an energy that coiled around us like smoke.

When we reached the master suite, Adrien kicked the double doors open with a force that made them slam against the walls. The room yawned wide and dark, only the faint glow of the moon spilling in through the floor-to-ceiling windows.

He didn’t bother turning on the lights.

The second the doors slammed shut behind us, I felt the air change again—thicken, darken, sharpen into something feral. Adrien didn’t speak. He didn’t have to.

His mouth crashed against mine with brutal purpose, stealing the breath straight from my lungs. I gasped into him, and that was all the invitation he needed. He spun me around, pressing me hard against the cold wall, his hands fisting the fabric of my ruined dress. His body pinned mine completely, hips locking mine in place. There was no space left between us. No hesitation. Only heat.

As our bodies collided, the friction of our clothes became unbearable. The ache within me intensified, my core throbbing with a need that only he could fulfill.

He tore his mouth away from mine, his eyes dark, his breathing ragged. He dipped his head, skimming his lips along the line of my jaw, his stubble leaving a delicious burn on my skin.

Then, he devoured me again, his tongue sweeping mine, his teeth dragging against my swollen lips like he wanted to mark me from the inside out. A raw, guttural sound rumbled in his chest when I whimpered for him, my fingers fisting the lapels of his jacket.

In a single, fluid motion, he tore it off me and flung it somewhere behind us. My back hit the wall harder, and I gasped, but Adrien swallowed the sound, kissing me deeper, harder, until my knees buckled beneath the onslaught.

I didn’t fall—he wouldn’t let me. His hands were everywhere at once—gripping my hips, sliding up to palm my breasts through the shredded silk, fingers digging just enough to sting, making me arch into him.

"Adrien," I breathed when his lips finally broke from mine, his forehead pressing to mine, both of us panting, trembling. His mouth lingered at the sensitive spot on my neck, his breath ghosting over the pulse fluttering beneath my flesh.

His teeth nipped at the skin there, possessive and demanding. I couldn’t help the whimper that left my lips, my body bowing into the hard plane of his chest. He let out a guttural sound, half-growl, half-groan, against my throat, his hands gripping my hips hard enough to bruise. He ground himself into me, making his need abundantly clear.

My head fell back, exposing more of my skin for his torturous mouth. I felt him smirk, his fingers digging into my thighs, spreading them to make more room for him between my legs. His lips moved down my neck to where my pulse was hammering away, his teeth sinking in just hard enough to send a shiver up my spine. He bit his way back up to my ear, his tongue laving over the sensitive skin of my earlobe, and I could have sworn I saw stars.

Adrien’s hand slid down, grabbed my thigh, and hauled it high around his hip. The movement pressed me flush against the hard, insistent length of him, trapped between the wall and his body.

"Feel that?" he rasped, his voice wrecked, his breath hot and harsh against my ear. "That’s what you do to me."

He pulled back, just far enough to look at me, his eyes dark, his expression raw with need. There was a wildness in his gaze, a hunger that made me shiver. He looked at me like he owned me, like I was his to do with as he pleased, and God, I wanted him to. His fingers tightened around my thigh, his grip bordering on painful, his thumb brushing over the sensitive skin on the inside. I gasped, my head spinning, my body quivering in response to every touch.