LOGINShe moaned—soft, needy—fingers tugging my hair. I moved lower, kissing across her collarbone, down to her breasts. The lace was so thin I could feel her nipples hardening through it. I took one into my mouth, sucking gently through the fabric. She arched, whimpering, nails digging into my shoulder
LUCIEN’S POV I lay back against the headboard, hands folded behind my head, eyes closed. The sheets were cool against my bare skin, the room quiet except for the soft rustle of Adele moving around. We’d just put Andrea to bed—story read, kisses given, little arms hugging us both tight before his e
ROSE’S POV My stomach was doing flips so hard I thought I might actually throw up right there on the red carpet leading into the grand ballroom. The Valkar Group annual dinner was always a big deal—black ties, sparkling gowns, crystal chandeliers that probably cost more than most people’s houses—b
LUCIEN’S POV The blanket was spread out under the big oak tree, dappled sunlight filtering through the leaves and dancing across Adele’s hair. She’d packed everything—sandwiches, fruit, little juice boxes for Andrea, even a tiny picnic basket with a checkered cloth. Her idea, of course. She sai
DAMIEN’S POV Rose’s lips were still on mine, soft and warm, tasting like the little mint she’d popped earlier. I couldn’t stop smiling against her mouth. The way she’d just tossed Scarlett out like yesterday’s trash? Pure gold. My girl was a force, and I was the luckiest bastard alive. I pulled
DAMIEN’S POV A week had passed since that nightmare in the forest bunker, and every single day felt like walking on thin ice. Rose was healing—physically, at least. But I knew the real damage was deeper. Nightmares still woke her up in the middle of the night, heart racing, body slick with swea
My jaw tightened, but the words still forced themselves past my teeth. “Because if I don’t…” My voice cracked into a snarl. “If I don’t, she dies.” The words reverberated through the chamber, heavy and raw, and for a moment, the only sound was my ragged breathing and the clink of the chains as I
The scream hadn’t even died down when the palace erupted into chaos. I barely had a second to catch my breath before a blur of movement slammed into me. A woman—her face ghost-pale, eyes wide with panic—shoved past me so hard my shoulder smacked against the wall. I gasped, clutching at the ache, b
She stayed on her knees, head tilted just enough for me to catch that glint in her eye. That dangerous, smug glint. My entire body went taut. Every instinct screamed to grab her, shove her against the tile, and make her pay for that tone. But I didn’t move—yet. Instead, I watched. She didn’t w
I should have taken that as my sign to stop and run for my life, but I did it again. I moved my hips against his bulging length and at that moment it felt like his control snapped. He stood up so fast from the chair, taking me with him like I weighed nothing. My legs automatically wrapped arou







