Chapter 18 Chapter 18
Lily
We return to the hotel around six in the evening, the sky outside tinged with gold and rose as the sun begins its descent behind the Parisian rooftops. The city feels like it's humming just for us, but inside me, a storm brews quietly.
Sebastian tosses the room key onto the marble-topped dresser and runs a hand through his dark hair. “Go get ready,” he murmurs, his voice husky from the cool air and exhaustion. “I’ll take a quick bath.”
I nod, offering a soft smile, but my chest is already tight with a strange anticipation I can’t name.
He disappears into the bathroom, steam soon beginning to fog the glass partition. I walk over to my suitcase, unzip it, and pull out the dress I’ve been saving—an elegant, deep navy satin gown that hugs in all the right places. I slip into the bathroom mirror in the corner of the room and begin curling the ends of my long hair, letting the waves fall effortlessly down my back.
I apply a soft, nude-toned makeup look—dewy skin, fluttering lashes, lips the color of flushed peonies. I fasten golden earrings to my lobes, layer delicate bracelets over my wrists, and clasp the fine chain of my necklace around my throat.
Then I step into the dress. It’s daring, even for me. The plunging neckline teases the curve of my cleavage, the high slit reveals the soft skin of my thigh when I walk, and the back? Almost entirely bare, with thin lace threading through the lower half in a delicate corset-style tie. I look at myself for a moment, smoothing the fabric down. I want to look perfect—for him.
As I turn to grab my clutch from the bed, Sebastian’s phone dings beside it. It’s unlocked.
I didn’t mean to look. Truly, I didn’t. But it’s right there, bright and open, and my name isn’t the one lighting up the screen.
It’s Giana.
I freeze when I see the picture. My pulse stutters.
It’s her. Topless. Her bare boobs on full display.
“Want those tonight?” the message reads, bold and shameless beneath the photo.
My stomach coils. I don’t touch the phone—I just stare. I scroll up slightly with the edge of my finger and see the earlier message from her: the restaurant location she’d sent.
So, first the invitation. And now… this?
“Why is she trying to seduce my man?” I whisper to myself, the taste of betrayal sour on my tongue—even if I know Sebastian hasn't replied. Not yet. Not that I can see.
I exhale slowly and set the phone down exactly how it was.
I won’t let her ruin my night. But inside, I’m burning. I gather my strength, straighten my shoulders, and continue getting ready as if nothing happened. On the outside, I am calm. On the inside, my thoughts are razor-sharp.
The bathroom door opens with a quiet creak, and steam spills out like a slow mist. Sebastian steps out, towel slung low on his hips, his skin glistening with drops of water. His muscles ripple slightly as he dries his hair with another towel, and my gaze drifts—slowly, intimately—down his sculpted chest.
He looks up, and his eyes find me.
I step forward, placing my hand flat against his bare chest, my fingers resting just above his heart.
“Well?” I ask softly, my lips tilted in a half-smile. “How do I look?”
His eyes darken instantly, desire flickering across his expression like a flame catching air.
“Fuck, Lily,” he breathes. “You look… so beautiful.”
“Just beautiful?” I whisper, stepping even closer until my lips are just inches from his.
His breath catches.
“And sexy,” he murmurs against my mouth.
I don’t wait. I close the distance, capturing his lips with mine in a kiss that is both possessive and aching. He responds instantly—his hands sliding around my waist, his towel beginning to slip.
He doesn’t yet know what I saw. And tonight, I will keep my composure. But Giana has drawn a line—and whether Sebastian knows it or not, he’s standing right in the middle of it.
And I intend to claim what’s mine.
I turn back to him slowly, my fingers grazing the edge of the towel wrapped low around his hips.
He raises a brow, amused and intrigued. “What are you doing, angel?”
I meet his gaze—steady, unflinching, but full of something deeper. Possession. Need. “Admiring what’s mine.”
With deliberate slowness, I tug the towel free, letting it fall to the floor without breaking eye contact.
Sebastian inhales sharply, the air suddenly thick between us. I let my fingers drift lightly across his abdomen, the muscles tensing beneath my touch. He says nothing, but I can feel the heat rolling off his body like fire wrapped in silk.
“Careful,” he murmurs, voice low and rough. “You’re playing with matches.”
“Then burn with me,” I whisper.
I sink to my knees before him, my eyes never leaving his. As I take his dick into my mouth, he lets out a sharp breath, his hand instinctively weaving into my hair, gripping it with quiet intensity.
He grips my hair the more I speed up the movement of my tongue on his dick. “Lily…” He gasp. He discharge inside my mouth and I swallow it.
I rise to my feet, meeting his gaze. His eyes burn with intensity as he exhales slowly, still catching his breath.
“That felt incredible,” he murmurs, voice low and husky.
Then he leans in and kisses me—slow, deep, and full of heat, as if trying to pour every emotion into that one lingering touch.
“I’ll have to fix my makeup and hair again,” I murmur, glancing at the mirror with a teasing sigh.
Sebastian chuckles, the sound deep and rich. He runs a hand through his tousled hair, still catching his breath.
“What are you doing to me, Lily?” he says, eyes gleaming with a mix of affection and desire.
His voice is low, almost reverent, as if he can’t believe I’m real.