Olivia's heart raced as she waited for Adrian to respond. His coat hung loosely from her shoulders, barely covering her naked body beneath. The air crackled with tension, the weight of her question hanging heavy in the silence.

Adrian, are you going to kiss me or not?

For a long moment, he stared at her, his eyes dark with a mix of longing and something that almost looked like fear. The muscles in his jaw worked, and his chest rose and fell rapidly as he fought some internal battle.

The seconds stretched on, each one feeling like an eternity. Her confidence wavered, and doubt crept in like a chill. Had she misread the situation? Misinterpreted the heat in his gaze, the tenderness of his touch?

Just as she was about to turn away, to flee from the intensity of his stare and the sting of rejection, Adrian let out a strangled sound. He moved, closing the distance between them in two strides. His hands came up to cup her face, his palms warm and slightly roughened against her skin. Her breath hitched, her heart pounding so loudly she was sure he must be able to hear it.

"Olivia," he rasped, his voice low and intense. "Are you sure? After what just happened..."

She swallowed hard, her fingers curling into the fabric of his white shirt. "I'm sure." She held his gaze steadily. "I want this. I want you."

Something in his expression shifted, the last of his reservations crumbling away. Slowly, giving her time to pull back if she wanted, he lowered his head. His breath feathered across her lips, a fleeting caress that made her shiver. And then, at last, he kissed her.

It was a soft brush at first, a tentative exploration. But as she sighed into his mouth, her lips parting in invitation, he gathered her closer, deepening the kiss. His tongue swept into her mouth, tasting, claiming, and she melted against him, a whimper rising in her throat.

He tasted of brandy and salt, a potent combination that made her dizzy. The rasp of his stubble against her skin, the heat of his body pressed to hers...it was overwhelming in the best possible way. She clung to him, her fingers tangling in his hair as she lost herself in the pressure of his mouth, the slide of his tongue against hers.

Kissing Adrian was everything she'd imagined and more. It was fire and tenderness, passion and reverence. The way he held her, the way he poured himself into the kiss, made her feel cherished, desired, adored. Like she was the only woman in the world, the only one he'd ever want.

Having never been kissed before, it was a heady experience, and somewhat shocking. She'd always thought of kissing as something sweet. Almost chaste. But this, this was something else entirely. This was hunger and heat, a connection so intense it almost scared her. With each brush of Adrian's lips, each stroke of his tongue, she came undone, unravelling in his arms.

When they finally broke apart, both of them breathing hard, she blinked up at him in a daze. His eyes were dark, sending another thrill through her. His thumb brushed over her lower lips, a light touch that made her shiver.

"God, Olivia," he breathed. "You do not know how long I've wanted to do exactly that."

She leaned into his touch, turning her head to press a kiss to his palm. "Me too," she whispered, the confession feeling like a weight lifting from her chest. "Adrian, I..."

But he silenced her with another kiss, this one deeper, more urgent. She surrendered willingly, letting the heat of his mouth chase away every thought, every worry. At that moment, there was only him and the connection blazing between them.

His hands slid down her back, pulling her flush against him. Through the thin fabric of his shirt, she could feel the heat of his skin, the hard planes of his chest pressing against her bare body. It was intoxicating.

Dimly, she registered they were moving, Adrian guiding her backwards towards the bed. The edge of the mattress hit the back of her knees and she sank onto it, pulling him with her. He followed willingly, his weight settling over her as he trailed hot, open-mouthed kisses down the column of her throat.

"You look amazing wearing nothing but my coat," he mumbled against her skin.

Heat filled her cheeks at his praise, but was quickly forgotten when his hand found her breast. She gasped and arched into his touch as the sensation sparked through her. A sharp, sweet ache that made her toes curl. She'd never been touched like this before, never known that her body could come alive in such a way. It was so different from the few times she had explored herself.

Adrian seemed to sense her inexperience, his touches remaining gentle even as they ignited fires beneath her skin. His mouth replaced his hand, wrapping around her nipple and sucking gently. A spear of pleasure shot through her, and she cried out, her fingers tangling in his hair as he continued licking, nipping, and sucking on first one breast, and then the other.

Languid heat filled her, gathering between her legs, and she writhed underneath him, desperate for more. Something.

He lifted his head to search her face. "Is this all right? We can stop anytime. If it's too much..."

She shook her head. Stopping was the last thing on her mind. She didn't know how to articulate what she wanted, what she needed, but she knew it was more. More of this feeling, this connection between them, this fire in her body.

"Don't stop," she mumbled, her hands gripping his shoulders. "Please, Adrian, I need... I..."

A soft smile curved his lips as he seemed to understand what she could not explain. "It's all right," he murmured, his hand skimming down her stomach, leaving a trail of fire in its wake. "Let me take care of you, sweetheart."

She nodded, unable to speak when his hand brushed the dark curls at the junction of her thighs. He smoothed his hands over her legs, his touch reverent.

"You're so beautiful," he breathed, pressing a kiss to her hipbone. "So perfect."

Under his worshipful gaze, she felt a new warmth suffuse her. Not the fiery heat of passion, but something softer, more tender. A glowing ember in her chest that made her feel cherished, precious. And then his fingers slipped between her thighs, parting her gently, and all coherent thought fled.

He explored her slowly, carefully, as if mapping uncharted territory, noting what made her breath hitch, what made her move slightly towards him. Each brush of his fingers, each circling caress, sent sparks dancing along her nerve endings, stoking the ache building low in her abdomen.

When he finally dipped a finger inside her, she couldn't hold back a moan. She'd never known she could feel this way, so full, so stretched. Until he added a second finger, curling them just so...

"Oh!" Her head fell back against the pillows. "Oh, Adrian..."

A wicked grin spread over his handsome face, but his eyes were filled with warmth and desire as he gazed up at her. "I knew my name would sound amazing from your lips when you're gasping beneath me."

She would have taken a pillow and whacked him over the head if he hadn't been working her so skilfully, his fingers stroking her deeply while his thumb found the sensitive bundle of nerves at the apex of her desire. She writhed beneath him, her hips lifting to meet his hand as pleasure coiled tighter and tighter within her.

And then, just as she thought she couldn't take any more, he lowered his head, replacing his thumb with his tongue.

Her world exploded, the sensation indescribable. The heat of his mouth, the firm pressure of his tongue, it was almost too much. She keened, her fingers fisting in the sheets as her body arched off the bed. Higher and higher he drove her, until she was teetering on the edge of some great precipice, ready to shatter into a million pieces.

"Let go," Adrian murmured against her, his fingers curling inside her as his tongue lapped at her most sensitive spot. "I've got you, Olivia. Just let go."

And she did. With a cry that was almost a sob, she exploded, waves of pleasure crashing over her as her body convulsed. He guided her through it, prolonging the feeling until she could take no more. Gentling his touch, he caressed her while the last of the tremors subsided.

As she came back to herself, she felt Adrian pressing soft kisses to her inner thighs, his breath warm against her sensitive skin. He moved up her body slowly until his face hovered above hers. His warm, brown eyes were dark and heated, and he brushed a strand of hair from her forehead.

"That was... You're incredible."

A flush heated her cheeks, a mixture of pleasure and shyness. "I've never...I didn't know it could be like that."

He chuckled. "I will take that as a compliment."

"You can be so insufferable." She groaned and rolled her eyes, but couldn't hold back her smile.

"Insufferably good?" He grinned before tracing the curve of her lips with his thumb, his face growing serious. "I've seen nothing as beautiful as you, lost in pleasure."

Her breath hitched, a sudden swell of emotion rising in her throat. The way he looked at her, the tenderness in his gaze...it was too much. Too big. Too real.

She surged up, capturing his lips in a fierce kiss. She needed to taste him, to feel the reassurance of his touch. To anchor herself in the physical and ignore, just for a moment, the complicated tangle of feelings in her chest.

He responded instantly, his arms coming around her as he rolled onto his back, pulling her on top of him. She could feel the evidence of his arousal pressing against her through the fabric of his trousers as she straddled his hips. A fresh wave of desire swept through her, emboldening her. She reached for the buttons at his waist, but he caught her wrist gently, stopping her.

"Sweetheart, wait." His breathing was laboured, his eyes dark with want. But there was a hesitance there too, a restraint that made her pause. "We should...we should stop."

Confusion and hurt made her sit up straighter. "You don't want...?"

"God, do I want to." His laugh was strained, almost pained. "I want you more than I've ever wanted anything. But..."

He sat up, cradling her cheeks in his hands as they came face to face, chest to chest. His eyes searched hers, a deep, aching vulnerability in their depths. "I can't be your second choice, Olivia. I won't be a consolation prize."

Her heart clenched with a sharp pang of understanding. How could she have forgotten? Adrian had been here before, had given his heart to a woman who'd chosen another. The pain of that, the fear of history repeating itself...she could understand his hesitance.

"Adrian." She covered his hands with her own. "You're not...it's not like that."

But even as the words left her mouth, she knew they weren't entirely true. Because Dash was still there, a presence in her heart and mind. And as long as he was, as long as that unresolved longing lingered...

She couldn't give herself fully to Adrian. Not in the way he deserved.

"Isn't it?" His smile was soft, tinged with sadness. "Olivia, I... God, the things I feel for you. The way you make me feel. It's bloody terrifying."

He leaned in, resting his forehead against hers. "But I can't... I won't be a placeholder. A way to pass the time or soothe a broken heart. When I'm with you, truly with you...I need it to be because you choose me. Because you want me, and only me."

Tears pricked at her eyes, and her throat tightened. She understood, even as part of her ached with the loss of what could be. Because he was right. It wouldn't be fair to him, to either of them, to take this step now.

Not when her heart was still divided. Not when the shadow of Dash still hung over them.

"I understand."

His arms tightened around her for a moment, a shudder running through him, and then he released her and she slid off him onto the bed. With a final, lingering look, he got off the bed and unhooked the hammock from the corner.

"What... what are you doing?" She frowned.

"There are some hooks out in the day cabin. I think it's best we don't share sleeping quarters for now." He barely looked at her, his jaw tight and his eyes shadowed with a pain he couldn't quite hide. His shoulders were stiff as he gathered the hammock, each movement controlled and deliberate, as if it took every ounce of his will to walk away.

She watched him go, a deep ache settling in her chest. The distance between them felt like a physical thing, a chasm that had opened in the wake of his words.

He was right; she knew he was. But that didn't make it any easier to watch him walk away.

Ignacio stirred from the spot where he preferred to sleep next to the bed, his black eyes flicking between her and Adrian's retreating form. A moment later, the iguana followed his master out the door, leaving her alone with her thoughts.

"Et tu, Brute?" she muttered under her breath before laying back down and staring up at the ceiling. Her eyes burned with tears threatening to spill, but she forced herself to push the need to cry away. The sheets and coat still smelled like Adrian, like the salt and spice of his skin. It was a bittersweet comfort, a reminder of what could have been.

Beneath the ache, beneath the longing, there was a flicker of something else. A warmth that spread through her chest. Because even in his rejection, in his restraint, Adrian had shown her the depth of his feelings. The strength of his care for her.

He wanted her. Truly wanted her. Not as a passing fancy or a momentary distraction. But as a choice.

And that knowledge, that realisation, it shifted something inside her. Made her look at her own heart, her own desires, in a new light. She had come on this journey for Dash. Had risked everything, crossed an ocean, for the chance to win his love.

But now, lying in the darkness with the ghost of Adrian's touch still on her skin, his coat still wrapped around her, she couldn't help but wonder. Was it really Dash her heart yearned for? Or had he become a symbol, a representation of a dream she'd clung to for so long?

And if it wasn't Dash...if the man she truly wanted, the man who made her feel seen and cherished and alive...was just a few feet away, separated by nothing more than a thin wall...

What then?

She closed her eyes, a single tear escaping down her cheek. There were no answers, not yet. She'd been so certain about Dash, about her feelings for him. But things had shifted. The course of her journey was no longer determined, and the compass of her heart had broken. She no longer knew where she was going or what the right choices were.

And that was scarier than anything else.

~~~~~~