Dumping The Ice King His Mini-Tyrant novel Chapter 559

Adrian closed the bedroom door but didn’t leave right away. He leaned against the cool wood for a few seconds in the darkness, then ran a restless hand through his hair, loosening his collar. The faint scent of Selene’s perfume still hung in the air, mingling with the steamy humidity from the warm towel, a silent, intoxicating presence.

He walked to the living room’s floor-to-ceiling windows. Outside, the city glittered, a sea of scattered stars that did nothing to illuminate the turmoil in his mind. He pulled a cigarette from his pocket and placed it between his lips, but his hand froze as he reached for his lighter.

Glancing back at the closed bedroom door, he sighed, put the unlit cigarette back in its case, and tossed it onto the coffee table. He couldn’t leave the smell of smoke in here. Daph hated it, and Selene would disapprove.

He went to the kitchen, grabbed a bottle of cold water from the fridge, and took several long swallows. The icy liquid soothed the strange heat coiling in his gut. Leaning against the counter, his mind replayed the last hour uncontrollably: the way she’d curled up in his arms, defenseless; her soft sigh of contentment; the sliver of pale ankle revealed when he’d removed her sock…

Adrian closed his eyes and let out a low, self-deprecating laugh. He was torturing himself. When had he, Adrian Shaw, become so… cautious? So flustered?

After a moment, he pulled himself together. He walked back into the living room, tidied up Selene’s laptop bag and files from the sofa, and placed them neatly on the table where she would see them. He went to the bathroom, rinsed out the towel he’d used, hung it up to dry, and wiped down the counter.

Once he was sure he had left no trace of his more… domestic activities, he picked up his phone and keys. Before leaving, he tiptoed back to the bedroom door one last time, listening. Only the sound of her steady, even breathing came from within.

Adrian turned and let himself out of the apartment, the door clicking shut with a near-imperceptible sound.

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