Adrian took both pillows with one hand and threw them back on the bed. “I let you have that one,” he said. “I figured it would make you smile.” He snapped his fingers then pointed at my grin. “See, it worked.”

“You just won’t admit that you lost.”

“Pfft, I’ve never lost anything, unless it was on purpose.” Adrian stood and with long, easy strides, made his way to my bed, a charming yet sly smile on his handsome face.

My mouth went dry, and I was not sure whether my heart had sped up double-time, or if it had stopped. “Adrian?” My throat made an uncomfortable, awkward sort of sound. “What are you doing?”

“I’m hardly doing anything.” A few seconds of utter silence passed as we stared at each other, me sitting on the bed, still half-asleep, and him standing at the edge of the bed looking down at me. Then he grabbed the nearest pillow and smacked the side of my body with it.

“Oh, the fight is on, Ambrosia!” I drawled, grabbing one pillow and hitting him.

He jumped on the bed and tackled me, angling his body to pin me down, my back flat on the bed, rustling the unmade bed into a messier state. My hands went to his sides and tickled his waist. Adrian wriggled and his grip on my wrists loosened. I took the moment of his lapse as a chance to turn the tables. Hooking my legs around his back, I rolled over and he ended up being the one looking up at me with me sitting on top of him. He tried to get up, but I grabbed both of his shoulders and pushed him down again. “Oh no, you don’t.” I grinned in victory when he, likely realizing that there was no point of struggling, relaxed.

“Okay, okay.” Adrian’s voice was low and his breath was uneven as he said, “I’m all yours, Montgomery.”

I was excruciatingly aware of his nearness. The top button of his shirt was undone; only one small movement of my thumb and it would graze his collarbone. With a sweep of one hand, I could touch the little lock of his messy light-brown hair and figure out if it was as soft as it looked.

A tingling sensation shot through me, and I nearly gasped, my abdomen clenching. I suddenly felt hungry, but not for food. The secret place between my legs tightened with desire. I desired him. Adrian freaking Ambrosia. Even at the height of my crush on him years ago, I’d never felt this strongly for him. I was starting to understand what everyone said about how emotions and desires were heightened after being Awakened.