LUCIAN I sat behind the wheel, hands gripping the steering like I was bracing for impact. My eyes kept drifting to the house in front of me, but my thoughts were far from still. Something about this felt wrong. This whole thing. The call. The way Essence had broken down after hearing Asher’s voice. It didn’t sit right with me. My gut told me it was a trap, carefully laid, probably by Alex. But how could I stop her? How could I look into her tear-filled eyes and say, “Don’t go see your son?” I closed my eyes, my mind dragging me back to the moment after Essence had received the call. She had sat on the edge of the bed, clutching her phone, her body trembling like a leaf in a storm. Then she looked at me, eyes wide, lips shaking, and asked, “Am I a terrible human, Lucian?” My heart cracked in that moment. “I must be a terrible mother, right? No matter what, Asher is a child. I was so angry at him that I didn’t go to see him at the hospital. I’m a very terrible person, righ
ALEX The knock came while I was pacing like a lunatic in the living room. My chest tightened. I practically ran to the door, yanked it open... And there she was. Essence. She stood there, panic flickering in her eyes, but damn… she looked more beautiful than I remembered. Her skin glowed like warm honey under the porch light. That simple purple dress hugged her curves like it was custom-made for her body. I had to physically clench my fists to stop myself from reaching out and pulling her into my arms. For a second, I forgot why she had left. For a second, I forgot everything except the fact that she was here. Breathing the same air as me again. It felt like someone had hit rewind and taken me back to the very first day I met her. What the hell went wrong? How did I ever let this woman slip through my fingers? "Are you going to stand there gawking or move out of the way?" she asked, her voice cutting clean through my daze. I blinked fast, scrambled back. "I’m sorry,"
ESSENCE I closed my eyes the moment Lucian's hands returned to my skin. I’d like to say I was relaxed, but the truth? I was tense for all the wrong reasons—and all the right ones too. His fingers moved over my back with slow, practiced strokes. Warm palms, confident pressure. Up along my shoulder blades, down the curve of my spine. Every pass sent a ripple of heat through me, like he was lighting little matches all over my skin. And there I was, lying under him, towel clinging to my hips, biting my bottom lip like I could chew my way through the tension. The way he touched me..... Like my body was a map he already knew but still wanted to explore. Every touch felt intentional, and yet... teasing. And don't even get me started on my heartbeat—it was thumping so loud it felt like the massage table was vibrating with it. Then he got to my waist. He paused, leaned in a little—close enough for his breath to tickle my ear—and asked, voice smooth and impossibly patient, “Can I ta
ESSENCE“Are you okay?” Lucian asked for the umpteenth time as he drove us home, one hand on the wheel and the other gently resting on my thigh like I might float away if he let go.I nodded once again, but my nod felt like a lie. “I don’t know,” I finally muttered, staring out the window like I was in a low-budget Netflix drama. “I keep thinking about Vesper.”He didn’t say anything right away. Just kept driving while the city lights rolled past us like soft blurs. Then he said, “You played your part, Essence. She's in the hospital. She’ll live—because of you. It could’ve been worse. She could’ve died. Don’t forget that.”And he was right. God help me, he was right. I did play my part. I warned her. I tried. I didn’t watch her walk into that trap.... I reached out. Even if she bit my hand in the process.Now I just hoped she healed completely… and that I never had to see her face again.When we got back home, I felt like I had stepped into a different world. A better one. One where t
ESSENCE I narrowed my eyes at him, lips curling into a teasing smile. “No, Lucian. I mean… what do you love in a woman? Like—what’s your type? Chubby? Size 8? Tall with a neck like a giraffe?” He barely let me finish. “Essence. I’m attracted to Essence.” I snorted. “Okay, got it—Essence is code for chubby…” “No.” He cut me off, more serious now. “You don’t get it.” I raised an eyebrow, still amused. “Then please, enlighten me. The court is listening.” He reached out and gently cupped my face, his thumbs brushing my cheeks like I was made of something delicate. “If for some reason,” he began, “you became a size 8, or really fat, or tall, or short, or whatever shape life throws at you… it wouldn’t change a thing. I don’t love you because of how you look. I love you because you’re you. You are my spec, Essence. You are what I want. And nothing—nothing—can ever change that.” My smile faded slowly. I just stared at him, trying to figure out if he was serious. “If this is
ESSENCE When we got back to the room, I sat down, but my mind refused to. I was trying really hard to forget everything else and just focus on Lucian—on us—but my face was apparently doing its own thing. The unease was written all over it, like I was the cover page of Worried Weekly. Lucian, bless his calm, didn’t say anything. He just walked over to the food and drinks cabinet—it was a serve-yourself situation, which honestly felt like a trap if you’re bad at portion control. He loaded up different kinds of food and small chops onto our plates like he was preparing for a group meeting. Then he grabbed two bottles of wine and set them on a tray with glass cups before bringing everything over to the table. I smiled at him. I couldn’t help it. That little gesture melted something in me. He sat beside me and said softly, “I brought you here so we could have fun. I’m sorry someone like Jason is ruining your mood. And I know Vesper must’ve said some really nasty things to you.” I