Chapter 3

Megan had always found her cousin a little intimidating.

The moment she got into the car, she stayed quiet, not daring to say a word.

Inside the vehicle, the silence felt oddly heavy.

Aurora’s gaze drifted to the leather-wrapped rosary bracelet around Lucas’ wrist.

There was something familiar about it, but with the alcohol clouding her mind, she couldn’t quite place it.

Still, a hazy memory surfaced as she recalled the first time she had ever met him.

Years had passed, yet he remained just as striking, his presence just as commanding.

Megan’s house was close by.

After dropping her off, Lucas continued driving, now heading to Aurora’s hotel.

With just the two of them left in the car, his voice suddenly broke the silence, casual yet unreadable.

"Planning to stay in Ravenshore?"

"Yeah."

Aurora hesitated for a moment before nodding.

They weren’t particularly close, so after that brief exchange, the silence quickly returned.

The air conditioning was on full blast, and before she knew it, sleep crept up on her.

She had no idea how much time had passed when a deep voice pulled her back to consciousness.

"Aurora, wake up."

She opened her eyes and found herself staring directly into his dark, penetrating gaze.

For a brief moment, she felt disoriented.

"Lucas?"

Her voice was slow, still laced with sleep.

The car door was open now, and he had leaned in, his tall frame filling the space between them.

His face, impossibly striking, was suddenly too close.

He lowered his gaze, his features sharp and cold, yet effortlessly elegant.

The crisp scent of cedar clung to him, fresh and cool, wrapping around her senses.

For a second, the image of him overlapped with the memory of the boy who once left her breathless—the one she had never quite been able to forget.

Aurora’s red lips curved into a lazy smile. "You’re ridiculously good-looking."

The alcohol swirled through her veins as she blinked up at him, her eyes hazy.

Then, without warning, she reached out, looping her arms around his neck.

"Want to sleep with me?"

Her voice dragged at the end, slow and languid, dripping with temptation.

Lucas froze for a moment.

Then, with a composed expression, he reached up, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

"You’re drunk," he said evenly.

She felt the soft graze of his fingers and let out a quiet hum, but she wasn’t about to let him off so easily.

"No, I’m not."

She was more than tipsy, her mind swirling with flashes of Joseph, the past few years, and the weight of her family’s expectations.

She was always rebellious and defiant.

Yet for Joseph, she pretended to be someone she wasn’t.

For a bet, she had willingly let herself be caged.

Tonight, maybe for the last time, she just wanted to let go.

"Lucas," she murmured, leaning in, her midnight-dark hair brushing against his cheek. "Do you want me or not?"

That fleeting touch, soft as a whisper, sent a slow, creeping sensation through him like a quiet, spreading fire.

The next second, his lips crashed onto hers, cool and unyielding.

His hand found her waist, fingers pressing in, possessive and sure.

His breath mixed with hers as he whispered against her lips, "Aurora, don’t regret this."

Then he caught her lower lip between his teeth, teasing and commanding, leaving no room for retreat.

Their breaths ran hot, mingling in the charged space between them.

Aurora’s lashes trembled as she caught her own reflection in Lucas’ dark eyes along with the undeniable pull of desire buried beneath his usual composure.

That cool, distant air of his was now wrapped in something deeper and turbulent.

A strange thirst settled in her throat, and without thinking, she pressed in closer, deepening the kiss, surrendering to the heat.

Inside the car, the atmosphere burned, thick with tension.

The quiet sounds of water and movement filled the air.

Some things between a man and a woman had a way of becoming dangerously addictive.

From the car to the bed, they tumbled into something neither of them stopped to name.

By the time it was over, Aurora felt as if waves of sensation had washed through her, leaving her limbs weak, her senses dulled.

When she woke, a deep soreness settled into her body.

Her eyes fluttered open, memories from the night before slowly piecing themselves back together.

Then, her body stiffened.

She had slept with Lucas.

Her mind spun as she processed it.

Even a fox knew better than to raid its own den, yet here she was, crossing an unspoken line.

Aurora’s face flashed through her thoughts, making the whole situation feel even more absurd.

Before she could think too much, the sound of running water cut off abruptly.

"You’re awake."

Aurora lifted her gaze just as the bathroom door swung open.

Lucas stood there in a robe, his lean, sculpted frame still damp.

Water droplets slid down his firm abdomen, disappearing beneath the fabric at his waist.

A flush crept up her cheeks before she could stop it.

"Sorry," she blurted out, instinctively searching for an excuse. "I was drunk last night."

Lucas paused, his expression unreadable.

His sharp eyes narrowed slightly, assessing her.

For some reason, his tone turned a few degrees colder. "So?"

Aurora picked up her clothes from the floor.

Faint marks dotted her skin, but she made no effort to cover them.

Instead, she met Lucas’ gaze directly, the corners of her red lips curving into a small, lazy smile.

"Megan and I are still friends," she said lightly. "So about last night… Lukey, you don’t mind, do you?"

That casual "Lukey" rolled off her tongue with a teasing lilt, slow and unhurried.

But maybe she was imagining it because the moment she said it, she swore his expression turned even colder.

He lit a cigarette, the faint glow casting shadows over his sharp features.

His dark eyes lingered on her before he drawled, his tone just as indifferent, "Do you give all your male friends nicknames? Like, say… Joseph Hunt?"