Kelsey was left standing in the thick silence of the room, her breath caught in the back of her throat. Every word Lucien had said clung to her skin like smoke, intoxicating and dangerous. She pressed her hand lightly to her chest, willing her heartbeat to steady_but it refused. Her body, still humming from the weight of his voice and the intensity of his nearness, betrayed her in every way.
She let out a slow, trembling sigh. God… what is happening?
Her gaze shifted across the room, dancing between the large bed and the nearby couch, which was smaller and less comfortable, but undeniably safer. Or at least, it felt like a line she could draw. A boundary. A place she could breathe without his scent in her lungs, without his warmth teasing her skin.
But she knew him by now_at least enough to know how persistent he could be when it came to her. He would not leave her curled up on the couch tonight. He had claimed her space, her time… her thoughts. If she tried to sleep there, he would likely lift her into the bed just to prove that she belonged beside him.
Kelsey shook her head slightly and padded toward the bed, choosing a spot at the farthest edge. She slid beneath the covers and pulled the duvet up to her shoulders, cocooning herself as if the weight of the fabric could shield her from the chaos spinning inside her chest. She closed her eyes and forced her breathing to even out, hoping that she could quickly fall asleep.
The sound of the bathroom door opening moments later shattered that hope.
She heard the faint creak, followed by the quiet but unmistakable sound of his bare footsteps on the hardwood floor. The scent of his soap drifted into the room—cool, masculine, with a hint of something darker that she couldn't quite name. Her lashes fluttered briefly, but she didn't open her eyes.
Lucien emerged from the steamy bathroom, a towel slung low on his hips, water droplets trailing down the ridges of his chest and abdomen, glistening under the soft lighting. His hair was damp and tousled, the strands sticking to his forehead and neck in a way that made him look less like a refined businessman and more like something carved from marble and myth.
Even though her eyes were closed, he could hear the uneven rhythm of her heartbeat beneath the silence. It was enough to tell him she was awake, no matter how still she lay. He allowed a ghost of a smile to touch his lips before turning away, reaching for a pair of black night pants and a matching sleeveless shirt. The movements were unhurried, graceful, the kind only a man fully confident in his own power could possess.
Once dressed, he walked to the bed and slipped beneath the covers on his side. His eyes were open in the dim light as he stared at the ceiling, listening to the sound of her breaths. She had turned her back to him, but the distance between them felt charged, alive with all the words neither of them dared to say.
And as he lay there, he wondered just how long it would take for her to acknowledge her as her man. He was really trying, trying not to gobble her up and leave a scar that would never heal. He wanted her to come to him willingly and even though it would take time, he just knew how to speed up the process. He would make her crave for him and with that, trust would soon come and without knowing it, she would be in too deep.
~~~~~
The night had slowly slipped away, retreating in silence, surrendering its shadows to the golden hues of early dawn. The room was still dim, the heavy curtains letting in just a sliver of light_but it was enough.
Kelsey stirred, her lashes fluttering open, only to find herself dangerously close to Lucien. So close, in fact, that their legs were lightly tangled under the sheets. Her heart instantly jerked in panic. What the hell_ She blinked again, realizing her head had somehow come to rest near his shoulder. His scent_ fresh with notes of cedar and something darker_ wrapped around her.
Before she could react, his dark eyes snapped open and locked onto hers.
Neither moved at first. A long, breathless moment stretched between them, the silence thick and tense. Then she bolted upright with a soft gasp, her cheeks flaming. Damn it. In her sleep, she had gravitated toward him. Lucien didn't need to say a thing_ his smirk said it all.
"Good morning, sweetheart," he said, voice thick with husky amusement. "Did you sleep well? You certainly looked comfortable..."
Kelsey shot him a scowl as she scrambled out of bed, brushing invisible dust from her thighs even though they were covered by the night gown. She didn't answer him. She didn't need to_ not when her embarrassment was painted so clearly on her face. Her hair was messy, her lips slightly parted, and the flush in her cheeks was as vivid as dawn itself.
Lucien leaned lazily against the pillows, watching her with amusement, his eyes following her every movement. He lived for these moments_the ones where she looked flustered and tried to act unaffected. Her reactions were addictive.
"I've seen runaway brides before, but you're a special kind," he murmured teasingly as she stomped toward the bathroom and slammed the door behind her.
Chuckling under his breath, he reached for his phone on the bedside table. A new message waited for him:
"Sir, the land near the Solenzara coast has been confirmed. The local officials have cleared the zoning permits. Should we proceed with the architectural team for the first phase?"
Lucien ran a hand through his tousled black hair and stared at the message for a moment, his mind already sorting through logistics. It was Sunday, but to him, days were merely names on a calendar. Time bent around his will. Still, today he had no plans to leave for work.
His fingers typed a response with smooth precision:
"Proceed. I want the team flown in by Wednesday. No delays. Send me the preliminary blueprints by tonight."
He tossed the phone back onto the bed, sinking into the quiet. Minutes passed withiut him moving. He just lay there, arms behind his head, thoughts drifting between work and the woman currently hiding behind a bathroom door.
Eventually, the sound of the door unlocking snapped him from his thoughts.
She stepped out, barefoot and still damp from the shower, a white towel wrapped tightly around her body. Her skin glowed with the remnants of steam, her brown hair darkened and slicked back. Drops of water clung to her collarbone and trailed down the length of her smooth legs. Lucien's gaze roamed her slowly, like he was trying to memorize every inch. Her petite frame looked like it had been sculpted to fit in his hands.
Kelsey noticed. Of course, she did. His gaze was a heavy thing.
"You could stop staring," she muttered.
"That would be a crime," he murmured, utterly unapologetic.
There was a tense beat of silence before she broke it_her voice quieter, but certain.
"I'm supposed to meet up with my friend."
The smirk on Lucien's face didn't fade entirely, but his eyes narrowed slightly, the warmth behind them cooling just enough to give her pause.
"A friend?" he echoed, voice deceptively calm. His eyes hadn't left her face.
"Yes," she said firmly, walking past him toward the closet. "I usually spend my weekends with her."
He had thought of making her counsel her plans, but he knew that that would not work on his favour. He wanted her to learn to love and accept him and though he had never courted a woman before, he knew that it would not work.
He gave her a nod before saying. "Alright. I will drop you off then, but I will be taking you to dinner tonight."
Kelsey, who had her back turned while picking through the clothes she had just brought from the boutique, paused. She would have wanted to refuse, to act on her own accord, but when she met his unwavering gaze, something from within her compiled her to nod.
"Okay." She said softly.