KISS'S POV
I didn't expect the room.
I don't know what I had expected—two separate suites, maybe. Distance. Space. Safety.
But when the hotel attendant opened the door, there was only one bedroom.
One bed.
Large. Impossibly so. Draped in white sheets, soft lighting casting golden shadows across marble floors and floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked the city.
My heart skipped.
Then raced.
The door closed behind us with a soft click that sounded far too loud.
I turned slowly to Adrian.
He had gone still.
Not tense. Not awkward.
Alert.
"This is… one room," I said, unnecessarily.
"Yes," he replied calmly.
Silence followed.
Not the comfortable kind.
Not yet.
"I can ask them to change it," he added, watching me carefully. "If you want."
I hesitated.
A part of me should want that.
Distance meant control.
Distance meant safety.
But another part of me—the part that had grown too aware of him, of us—didn't want him far tonight.
"I'm fine," I said quietly. "It's just a room."
His gaze darkened slightly.
"It's not just a room," he said.
The honesty in his voice made my stomach flutter.
He moved past me, loosening his tie, shrugging off his jacket. I watched without meaning to—the way his shoulders flexed, the quiet authority in every movement.
"This place is secure," he continued. "No one gets in without clearance."
I swallowed. "Including… people we don't want?"
His eyes flicked to me sharply.
"You're thinking about Chris."
It wasn't a question.
I nodded. "He texted me."
That was enough.
Adrian went still.
"What did he say?"
"That Italy looks good on me," I replied. "And that he wants to talk."
A muscle ticked in his jaw.
"You didn't reply."
"No."
Good, his eyes seemed to say.
"He shouldn't be here," Adrian said coldly. "And he won't get near you."
There it was again.
That line.
Near you.
I crossed my arms slowly. "You don't get to control who I talk to."
His gaze softened—but only slightly.
"I know," he said. "But I do get to protect you."
I exhaled shakily. "Even from people I choose?"
"Especially from them," he replied quietly.
The weight of his words pressed against my chest.
"You don't trust me," I said.
"That's not true," he countered immediately. "I don't trust him."
Silence stretched between us again—thick with unspoken things.
I turned away first, walking toward the window, needing air even though the room was perfectly cooled.
The city below glimmered.
Alive.
Dangerous.
Just like everything around Adrian.
"Why does it matter so much?" I asked softly. "Why me?"
I felt him behind me before I heard him.
"Because you don't belong in this world," he said. "And it keeps trying to claim you anyway."
I turned.
He was close now.
Too close.
"And what if I choose to stay?" I whispered.
His eyes dropped—just for a second.
To my lips.
My breath caught.
"That's what scares me," he said.
The air shifted.
Charged.
I licked my lips without thinking, nerves drying them out.
His gaze darkened instantly.
"Kiss…" he warned.
I took a step back.
Not away.
Just… steadying myself.
"We should get some sleep," I said, my voice not entirely convincing. "Big day tomorrow."
"Yes," he agreed.
Neither of us moved.
Eventually, he turned first, heading toward the bathroom.
"I'll take the couch," he said.
I spun around. "No."
He paused.
"That bed is big enough for two adults who can behave," I added quickly. "We're not children."
His lips twitched faintly.
"Are you sure?" he asked.
I nodded, heart pounding. "Yes."
He studied me for a long moment.
Then nodded once.
"Fine."
---
ADRIAN'S POV
Sleeping beside her was a mistake.
I knew it the moment I lay down.
She was warm.
Close.
Too close.
Her presence altered the air, her breathing syncing unconsciously with mine. I stared at the ceiling, muscles taut, control stretched thin.
I had fought wars with less tension than this.
"You're not sleeping," she murmured.
Neither are you, I thought.
"No," I admitted.
She shifted, turning slightly toward me. The sheets rustled softly.
"Adrian," she said quietly. "Are we… doing the right thing?"
I turned my head to face her.
Her eyes were open.
Searching.
"I don't know," I said honestly. "But I know I don't regret bringing you here."
Her fingers curled into the sheets between us.
"I don't want to be something you have to protect all the time," she said. "I want to stand on my own."
"You do," I replied. "More than you realize."
She hesitated. "Then stop treating me like glass."
I exhaled slowly.
"You don't understand," I said. "In my world, people get hurt for far less than standing next to me."
"Then let me choose," she whispered.
I reached out before I could stop myself.
My fingers brushed her wrist.
Electric.
"I'm trying," I said.
Her gaze softened.
"So am I."
For a long moment, we stayed like that—hands barely touching, breaths shallow, hearts loud.
Then her eyes fluttered shut.
Minutes passed.
She slept.
I didn't.
I stared at her face—peaceful in sleep, lashes dark against her cheeks—and a truth settled heavily in my chest.
I wasn't just falling.
I was already lost.
---
KISS'S POV
I woke up to warmth.
And an arm around my waist.
Adrian.
Still asleep.
His face relaxed, stripped of its usual sharpness. I traced his features lightly with my eyes—the strong line of his jaw, the faint crease between his brows like he carried the world even in sleep.
He stirred.
"Careful," he murmured without opening his eyes. "If you keep looking at me like that…"
I froze.
"…I won't be responsible for what happens next."
My face burned.
"I wasn't—" I started.
His eyes opened.
Amused.
Dangerous.
"Relax," he said softly. "I'm joking."
He wasn't.
He sat up slowly, running a hand through his hair.
"Morning," he added.
"Morning," I echoed, flustered.
Then his phone buzzed.
Once.
Twice.
His expression changed instantly.
"What is it?" I asked.
He glanced at the screen.
"Security alert," he said. "Someone checked in under a private alias."
My stomach dropped.
"Chris?"
His jaw tightened.
"Yes."
The game wasn't just beginning anymore.
It had arrived at our door.