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“It’s in fucking French, are you kidding me?”
Tears of amusement push out of my eyes while I place my hand over my now cramping stomach. I can’t remember the last time I laughed this hard. We’ve been trying to build my bed for the past two hours, but neither of us is good at these kinds of things.
“I have to teach you. You have to learn French if you’re going to live in Monaco,” he points out and studies the paper again.
This is hopeless. We’re obviously incapable of accomplishing this tonight.
“Okay, I’m calling time of death. I’m too tired to keep going,” I say and stretch my arms into the air before yawning. Adrian yawns too, making us both chuckle.
“Val and James will be able to help tomorrow,” Adrian assures me, standing up and walking over to my mattress.
He rips the plastic off while I watch, admiring the way his arm muscles are flexing with the motion.
“Well, I was supposed to do this with her, not you,” I remind him with a smile.
Adrian frowns for a split second before dropping my mattress onto the floor and walking over to the sheets we bought.
“She wouldn’t have made you laugh as much as I did.” He unfolds the sheets to spread them over what will have to do as my bed for now.
“Yes, because she would have been able to read the instructions properly,” I tease, and he throws the bedding down.
“You know what? I’m done helping,” he says.
“Sure, call it ‘helping,’” I reply, and he grabs his jacket before walking toward the door. “Adrian! I’m joking. Please, stay,” I laugh, and he spins back around, crossing the room and falling on top of me with a heavythud. “Oh my God,” I choke out and try to push him off me, but Adrian has become limp and heavy as a rock. “I can’t breathe,” I say, but he doesn’t release me. I try to heave him off again and fail since my back is flat on the ground and I’ve always been horrible at bench pressing.
“Have you learned your lesson?” he asks, and I giggle uncontrollably underneath him.
“Yes, I’ve learned my lesson. Please, get off,” I beg, and, finally, he rolls over.
My laughter still fills the almost empty room, and he joins with a chuckle that makes my heart warm. We’re both on the floor now, me on my back and Adrian on his stomach. He studies my face with the same intensity that I do his.
Silence surrounds us, allowing me to listen to my racing heart.
His fingers move to my cheek, cupping my face as his thumb runs over my bottom lip.
“I have a really hard time not touching you,” he says softly. My eyes close as his thumb continues to trace my lips. “You’remon paradis, Nevaeh.” I tilt my head to get closer to his touch.
Adrian’s lips are barely a few centimeters away from mine now. Our breaths are one, but I lean away again to clear my mind.
“I think you have the wrong person, Adrian. You might be attracted to me, but you’re notthatattracted to me that I’d tilt your whole word on its axis and make you want things you never have before,” I say, trying to convince myself as much as him of this. Maybe the reminder will help me keep a healthy distance between us.
Adrian stands up and holds out his hand to lift me off the ground, too. I slide mine into his, the airwhooshingout of me as he helps me up, pulling me close. My hands slip onto his hips, enjoying the hardness of his body against mine.
“You really are stubborn once you’ve set your mind on something,” he points out, and I’d laugh if my body wasn’t pressed up against his if the ache between my legs didn’t make me dizzy. “If you’re questioning how attracted I am to you, then you’ve not been paying attention to me,mon ange.”
Adrian grabs my hand and places it over his chest, allowing me to feel his accelerated heartbeat.
“Feel that? Now, if I wasn’t so incredibly attracted to you, didn’t want you as much as I do, having you pressed up against me wouldn’t excite me this much, would it? It wouldn’t make my heart race,” he says, and I lower my arms until my fingers rest on his stomach.
“I guess not,” I mumble with a shy smile that heats up my face.
“You guess not?Mon Dieu, Nevaeh, you are so frustrating,” he replies and lets go of me to make my bed.
I join him, but neither one of us says another word until we’re finished.
Adrian is fluffing out my pillow when I realize, like I do every time we spend the day together, that I'm not ready for him to leave yet.
“You know, I fell asleep before the movie ended last time. Do you want to watch it again?” I ask, and he pulls his sweatshirt over his head before removing his socks without a second of hesitation. He drops onto my bed, and I laugh as I grab my laptop and join him.
