Stella's POV
"What are you doing?"
Adam's fingers closed around my wrist, firm but not rough. I looked up into those intense green eyes—still sleepy but radiating a pressure that made my stomach flip.
My body tensed on instinct. "Uh, Taylor called, said the board didn't wait for you and might push the meeting… Can you let go?"
He stared at me for a beat before loosening his grip. Sitting up slowly, the drowsiness vanished, and he ran a hand through his messy hair, looking so effortlessly hot it threw me off. *God, how's he this gorgeous straight out of bed? Like he just stepped off a magazine cover.*
"Should I tell Taylor to keep the meeting going?"I asked. If he got up now and cleaned up, he could hit GT Group headquarters in under an hour, and they wouldn't have to reschedule.
Adam glanced at me, flashing that maddening smirk. "Mrs. Lancaster, your husband skipping a day won't stop him from taking care of you."
*Who needs you to take care of me?* I rolled my eyes internally, like I'm some 1950s housewife living off his paycheck. I squinted at him, suspicious. "Missing a meeting screws up a ton of company stuff, doesn't it? Aren't CEOs supposed to be workaholics?"
"Stella, you're sounding like a nagging little wife,"he said, amusement dripping from his voice, smug as hell.
"What? I'm not a nagging wife!"I shot back, eyes wide with disbelief. Adam was insufferable—too cocky for his own good. I was just trying to help, and he calls me *nagging*?
He slid out of bed, stretching his tall frame, muscles flexing under the morning light. Heading to the wardrobe, he paused at the door and crooked a finger at me. "Come here."
"Picking another tie for you?"I mumbled, dragging myself off the bed, still heavy with sleep, like a lazy kitten.
I shuffled over, but before I got close, his gaze dropped to my bare feet, brows knitting. "Put shoes on."
I wiggled my toes. "There's floor heating, it's not cold—ah!"Mid-sentence, his hands grabbed my waist, lifting me like I weighed nothing. My heart jumped into my throat, racing from the sudden move. He plopped me back by the bed, right in front of my pink slippers.
"Wear them,"he said, voice firm, no room for debate—like he was bossing around a kid, but also kind of sweet.
It all happened so fast, I blinked, dazed, slipping my feet into the slippers on autopilot. *Since when does he care if my feet are cold? Is he secretly this doting?*
Adam nodded, satisfied, then took my hand, pulling me to the wardrobe. "Help me pick clothes."
His hand swallowed mine, the rough pads of his fingers brushing my skin, sending little tingles up my arm. *Holding hands feels so intimate—his grip's so warm, like he's claiming me.* I tried not to dwell on how perfectly our hands fit, keeping my cool.
Since he was just heading to the office, not meeting clients, I went for a relaxed business casual look, pairing it with platinum cufflinks etched with a quirky pattern—something to liven up his usual stern vibe. When he saw them, his brows twitched. I could practically hear his thoughts: he sticks to dark tones, and these had been gathering dust in their box.
"They look great, Adam,"I said, unable to hide my sass. "You're only twenty-seven—stop dressing like you're fifty. Back in college, even my forty-something profs had more style than you."
I regretted it the second it slipped out. His eyes darkened, and in a flash, he had me pinned against the wardrobe, arms caging me in like a trap.
"Stella, you think I'm old?"His voice dropped low, teasing but edged with danger.
The cool wood pressed against my back as I looked up at him. This close, my heart was pounding, but I fought to keep my face steady. *They say men peak at thirty, and at twenty-seven, he's prime—but I just hit twenty, so yeah, he's kinda old next to me.* No way I'd admit that now.
I stayed quiet, and he took it as an answer, letting out a chilly laugh. "Stella, you're begging for it."
His breath grazed my skin as his hand slipped under my nightgown, sliding up my thigh, warm and slow. *What's he doing, starting this first thing in the morning?* My brain scrambled to stay in control, but my body was already melting, tingling wherever he touched.
"Adam… mmh!"My protest died as his lips crashed into mine, his cologne flooding my senses, wiping my mind blank.
"Let go!"I shoved at his chest, but my hands lingered, greedy for the feel of him.
His arms tightened around me like steel bands, pulling me closer. "What do you want?"I huffed, flustered.
"To show you I'm not old,"he murmured against my ear, voice so sultry it sent heat pooling between my legs.
Before I could blink, his hand cupped my breast, squeezing gently through the fabric, then tugging my nightgown up. Cool air hit my skin, and I glanced down—my bare chest spilled out, full and exposed under his gaze. I wanted to die of embarrassment. *Oh God, this is mortifying—but why's his stare burning me up like that?*
He didn't stop, leaning down to kiss my neck, lips hot and wet as they trailed to my chest, sucking lightly. I gasped, arms wrapping around his neck on instinct. *What's wrong with me? I want to push him off, but I want him to keep going…*
Adam pulled back, smirking. "Looks like you want me too, huh?"
"You…"I stammered, too shy to form words, face flaming.
"Alright, let's make it even better."He scooped me up and laid me on the bed, voice husky. "Enjoy this."
His kisses poured down like rain—neck, chest, lower—dense and teasing, his tongue flicking over my skin. Big hands roamed everywhere, kneading my waist, grabbing my hips. I went limp, powerless, letting him take over. *He's too good at this—I'm done for…*
When I snapped back to reality, my clothes were gone. He stripped down, his erection springing free, tip glistening. Before I could process it, he gripped my waist and thrust in, stretching me full. I moaned loud, helpless. *It's too much—my heart's gonna burst!*
He held my hips, driving deep, each thrust rocking me senseless. I bit my lip to stay quiet, but he nibbled my ear, panting, "Feel good?"
"You!"I clenched my jaw, stubborn, refusing to answer.
He grinned, pulling out to tease my slick entrance with slow rubs. The tingling drove me crazy, mouth dry, body moving on its own—legs hooking around his waist, need overriding sense. *I'm screwed, totally under his spell.*
He chuckled, one hand on my waist, the other on my hip, sliding back in. The rush hit hard—I cried out, legs clamping tighter. "Still think I'm old?"he teased, rubbing me again, torturing me with pleasure as he thrust, our sounds filling the room.
His heavy breaths tangled with my moans. I tried to hush myself at first, shy as hell, but the waves of bliss broke me—I couldn't hold back, my cries spurring him to pound harder. *God, I'm completely his now…*