Chapter 17 Chapter 17
Lucien
The moment I pressed my lips to hers, the world narrowed to just the two of us. Her lips were soft, warm, and impossible. My hand came up to cradle her face, thumb brushing against her cheek as the other hand gripped her waist, pulling her closer. I could feel her body respond instantly pressing into mine, quivering, desperate.
I deepened the kiss, sliding my tongue gently against hers, tasting every ounce of her. Her breath hitched against my lips, a sweet, raw sound that sent fire straight through my chest. I wanted more I wanted to consume her, to leave nothing between us.
Her hands found their way to my chest, clawing at the fabric of my shirt, as if she needed me to feel her as much as she needed me. Every nerve in my body was alive, every sense screaming that she was mine in that moment, even if just for a second.
I pulled back slightly, just enough to look at her swollen lips, her half-lidded eyes, and the heat radiating off her. My jaw ached, my heart thundering not from exertion, but from the impossibility of resisting her. I wanted to kiss her again, harder, deeper, everywhere—but I knew if I went further, neither of us would be able to stop ourselves.
So I let my forehead rest briefly against hers, inhaling the scent of her hair, the sweetness of her skin, memorizing her. Every inch of her made me want to lose control. Every beat of her racing heart synchronized with mine.
And then, with a tension that threatened to shatter me, I pulled away, just enough to open my eyes, to breathe, to keep from doing something reckless that would change everything between us.
My heart was still hammering as I got upstairs. I barely registered Mira stepping out of her room until her voice cut through my daze.
"What's wrong with your face?" she asked, tilting her head, eyes sharp.
I froze for a fraction of a second, silently thanking God she hadn't gone downstairs when... that happened. When I kissed her. Valentina. The thought made my chest tighten.
I didn't answer her. I just kept walking, the sound of my own steps masking the racing of my pulse.
As soon as I reached my room, I shut the door with a sharp click, the world outside disappearing. My fingers tore at my shirt, throwing it across the floor, leaving my chest bare to the cool air. I stepped into the shower, letting the cold water rain down over me, shocking my body into alertness.
But no amount of water could wash away the taste of her lips. The feel of her warm, soft, insistent pressed against mine, the way she whispered "kiss me" like it was permission, like it was a demand, replayed over and over in my mind.
I clenched my fists under the stream, teeth grinding as I tried to tame the heat crawling through my veins. My body betrayed me with every pulse, every muscle remembering how her hands had been on me, how her scent had wrapped around me, how her lips had felt so impossibly right.
I wanted to touch her again. I wanted to taste her. I wanted to lose myself in her.
And I knew, with a terrifying certainty, that holding back was going to be harder than anything I'd ever done in my life.
Morning light filtered through as I made my way down the stairs. And the first person my eyes landed on was Valentina, sitting at the breakfast table. The sight of her made my chest tighten in a way that was impossible to ignore.
God, last night had been a disaster. I hadn't slept more than a few hours, the memory of her lips, her hands. It played on repeat in my mind. Every time I closed my eyes, I could feel her again, her warmth, her breath. I'd woken up more restless than ever, knowing I had to see her again today.
Ronan's voice broke into my thoughts. "Father just left. He's flying out of the country for a business trip, so he said you'd handle the company... and also drive Valentina to the office."
My teeth clenched slightly. Why the hell was Ronan telling me this? Isn't that supposed to come from Father himself, like it always does? I didn't say anything, just nodded, the anger under my skin mingling with something else entirely something I wasn't ready to admit.
I moved toward the table, ready to sit, but then looked up at her again. "Meet me in the car." I said instead moving away.
I didn't have to look at her to know she heard. And somehow, knowing that she did... only made it harder to keep my mind under control.
The soft click of the car door opening pulled me from my thoughts. She slid in, and I cast her a quick glance before turning my attention back to the road. The engine hummed beneath us as I started driving.
Halfway down the road, I could feel her eyes on me. I ignored it, gripping the steering wheel tighter.
"Are you... going to pretend last night didn't happen?"
I cursed under my breath. My hand clenched on the wheel. "Forget about whatever happened," I muttered. "It's a mistake."
God, why did I say that? Why the hell did my mouth betray me like that? I caught the faint disbelief flicker across her face. She didn't respond, and for a moment, I thought maybe she understood. She had to understand.
Because she was... his wife. My father's wife. Off-limits.
The office entrance came up, and I killed the engine, the sudden silence in the car almost suffocating.
"You do know you're annoying, right?" She said immediately she took off her seatbelt.
I kept my eyes on the road. "I'm not here to be entertained."
Her laugh was bitter. "Entertained? You think that's what I was? You kissed me like I'm some woman you toss aside the moment you get bored. If that's how you treat women, then yeah... you're an asshole."
She started reaching for the door. I didn't hesitate hand shot to the lock, and the click echoed in the small space.
"Unlock the door," she said not glancing at me.
I drew in a deep breath. "Do you... have any idea how sinful that kiss was?" My voice dropped almost to a growl. "You're my father's wife."
The words hung heavy between us, suffocating. Her eyes flicked to me, a mix of defiance and something else I couldn't quite name, and I could feel it the pull, the reckless temptation. My chest tightened, my grip on the wheel hard enough to make my knuckles pale.
And yet, she wasn't looking away. Not even for a second. "Sinful? Really, that's the best you could come up with?"
"You act like I didn't want it too. Like I'm just some helpless woman waiting for your mercy."
I didn't say anything and she didn't stop talking.
"And for the record, being your father's wife doesn't make me some untouchable angel. If that's how you think, then yeah...good for you. Now, unlock the damn door."
I exhaled slowly, forcing myself to unclench my fingers from the lock. The click of the door releasing felt like admitting defeat, and yet, I knew it was the only way to keep this from spiraling further.
As soon as the door was free, she swung it open, one hand on the frame.
“And you don’t have to pick me up later,” she said casually, though the sharp edge in her tone was obvious. “I’ll find my way back home.”
I stayed behind the wheel, knuckles white on the steering wheel. God, I’d said all the things I’d meant to push away said them with control, with reason but the truth? None of it felt easy. None of it meant what I was trying to convince myself it did. And I knew, deep down, that keeping her at arms’ length was going to be a fight I wasn’t sure I could win.