“You’re amazing, you do know that?” Lucian pulled Adelina into his arms, pressing a light kiss to her forehead.
“You’re family’s kind of great.”
“You make them happy.”
She looked up at him smiling.
“I think I like New York City.”
“Oh baby, you haven’t even seen it yet.”
???
Lucian could watch Adelina stare at the city all day. She was mesmerized by everything. Times Square. Rockefeller Center. Every single storefront.
They spent their entire Sunday exploring the city. Lucian had already seen it all, but Adelina was experiencing everything for the first time. And Lucian loved that.
Last night he took her home, against Vinny’s wishes, to his condo in the Upper East Side where she stood with her jaw dropped for a while.
Adelina had grown up in money, but everything here beat Providence by miles. She loved his condo, even though he told her several more times that house hunting was an option, she told him no.
She padded around the place in her bare feet in the morning, attempting to make pancakes. They both learned a good lesson, Adelina couldn’t cook.
Then they set out. Lucian was in no rush to take her back to Providence, hell, he’d let her move in today if that was what she wanted.
“Let’s get coffee.” He led her into a small café where he ordered two coffees and Adelina picked out a handful of sweets from the display case.
“I want one of those t-shirts!” she announced between bites of her chocolate Danish. “You know, those I heart NY ones.”
“Tacky,” Lucian told her smiling. “You’re not a tourist.”
She laughed. “Clearly I am.”
“Pretty soon you won’t be.” He murmured, sipping his coffee.
“True.” She smirked, “But for now, I am, so I probably need one of those shirts.”
Lucian caved. And bought her an “I Love NY” shirt off a street corner. Yeah, he’d do anything to keep that smile on her face.
???
Christmas passed through New York in a whirlwind of snow and perfectly wrapped gifts. Their first Christmas was spent hours apart with Adelina in Providence and Lucian in the city. This would be the last holiday they spent separated though, Lucian had promised himself that. Day after day he became more and more obsessed with Adelina. And day after day h
e was envious of her twin dorm room bed that held her at night while he was hours away. He wanted her home, in her bed. He wanted her hair to grace his pillow case, her lipstick stains on his glassware. He wanted every part of her, the good, the bad, the ugly, and the beautiful. He wanted it all. He had never felt this way about a woman before. This intoxication.
Maybe he needed a detox.
Or maybe, he just needed her here. Maybe he was better off with this addiction.
She was the best drug he could get his hands on.
He bought her a plane ticket from Rhode Island to New York City. She was due here any moment now and then they would be off. He planned a trip for her, his first in years, and he couldn’t stop smiling thinking about Adelina’s excitement.
“Where are we going?” She had asked with a light laugh as Lucian piled her matching Michael Kors suitcase and duffel bag into the trunk of his Mercedes.
“It’s a surprise.” He smirked. “You’ll know when you see it.”
Her face glowed but her mouth said “I don’t like surprises.”