ANMELDENLumi POVI woke up slowly, the penthouse quiet except for the faint sound of the city below and the soft rustle of Briggs moving around the room. The sheets still held his warmth, and my skin carried the faint ache of his touch from the night before, a reminder of how he’d pulled me close and made the world outside feel smaller. For a moment I let myself linger there, eyes half-closed, pretending the calls and the messages hadn’t started again. But they had, Wren never stayed quiet for long.Briggs sat in the armchair by the window, already dressed, his phone in one hand and a mug of coffee in the other. The morning light hit the open collar of his shirt and the sharp line of his jaw. He looked like he’d been awake for a while, probably watching the screen for the next thing to hit us. When he noticed I was up, he set the mug down and crossed the room, stopping at the edge of the bed. His hand found my shoulder without hesitation, thumb brushing over my bare skin in that steady way
Lumi POVThe elevator doors slid open to the penthouse, and the familiar scent of leather and Briggs’s cologne hit me like a safety net I hadn’t realized I needed. Brianna stepped out first, her keys jingling as she tossed them onto the marble counter without a word. She gave me one last glance—half apologetic, half still curious—and disappeared down the hall toward her wing. I stood there in my leggings and oversized sweater, the fabric still carrying the faint mineral smell from the spa, my thighs aching with every shift of weight. The soreness between my legs reminded me of Briggs’s hands, but the spa had left something else behind, something thinner and sharper that settled in my chest like a splinter.I barely had time to drop my bag before I felt him. Briggs emerged from the shadows of the living room, barefoot and shirtless, his dark hair still damp from a shower. His eyes locked on me instantly, scanning like he could read every shift in my posture. “You’re back early,” he
I glanced at it, then swam towards it and saw an unknown number flashing on the screen, and decided whatever it was could wait. The hot water of the public bath had finally started to loosen the deep ache on my body. I wasn’t about to let a random call pull me out of this fragile peace. Not now.The spa had thinned out. Dara had stepped away to take a business call, leaving just the three of us girls submerged in the mineral pool—me, Brianna, and the quiet tension that had followed us from the penthouse. Steam curled around our shoulders like secrets we weren’t ready to share. Brianna lounged against the tiled edge, her dark hair slicked back, looking every bit the untouchable Hall twin. Her eyes kept drifting to me with that calculating glint, like she was still processing whatever fight she and Briggs had after I’d passed out. I didn’t ask, not here. The water was too soothing, and my muscles too grateful for the break.Then Dara returned, sliding back into the water with the easy
Lumi POVMy eyes cracked open to sunlight slicing through the penthouse windows like it had a personal grudge. The ache hit me first—deep, delicious, everywhere. Every muscle protested in the best way, like my body was reminding me I’d been thoroughly fucked, owned, and left marked inside and out.My nipples were still hypersensitive, brushing against the tangled sheet and sending little sparks straight to my clit. Fuck, even my shoulders carried the faint imprint of his grip, the kind of bruises that would make smile in the mirror like dirty little trophies. I stretched experimentally and winced, a low groan slipping out. I pushed up on one elbow, hair a wild mess tumbling over my face, and realized I was completely naked. The sheet had slipped to my waist, exposing my breasts, the faint red lines from his fingers still visible across my ribs. I looked rough. Cheeks flushed, lips swollen from his kisses and the way he’d bitten them when I came undone, eyes heavy with the kind of e
Briggs POVHours had passed since we’d collapsed onto the bed, bodies slick and spent, the kind of exhaustion that comes only after you’ve poured everything into someone and they’ve taken it without asking for mercy. The penthouse was quiet now, Lumi lay curled against my side, her head tucked under my chin, one leg thrown over mine like she’d claimed the territory even in sleep. Her breathing was deep and even, the soft rise and fall of her chest brushing my skin with every inhale. The sheets were a tangled mess around us, carrying the sharp, intimate scent of sweat and the faint trace of her perfume that always lingered like a challenge.I didn’t sleep, couldn’t. My mind kept replaying the way she’d looked up at me on that desk—eyes wide, lips parted, body yielding completely while I drove into her like the world was ending. The way her walls had clenched around me, pulling me deeper, demanding more even as I gave her everything I had. It had been raw, punishing, the kind of fuck
LumiThe elevator ride up was pure torture. Briggs didn’t say a word, but his hand stayed pressed to the small of my back like an anchor, fingers splayed wide enough to claim every inch of skin through my dress. My legs were still trembling from the car, from the way his fingers had curled inside me while the city lights streaked past the windows. I could still taste the almost-kiss on my lips, still feel the ghost of his breath when he’d stopped just short of ruining me completely.The doors slid open directly into his penthouse. Floor-to-ceiling glass looked out over a glittering Manhattan that felt a million miles away. Briggs didn’t give me time to breathe.One second I was stepping out of the elevator on shaky heels, the next his hands were on me. He moved like a man who’d been holding back for too long. His palms gripped my waist, lifting me clean off the floor as if I weighed nothing. My back hit the nearest wall with a dull thud that knocked the air from my lungs. The impac
Lumi’s POVA few minutes later, we finally got to Clover’s apartment. The moment we step inside, the world outside feels… quieter. But not enough to silence my thoughts.“I’m going to shower first,” Clover says, already kicking off her shoes and heading toward her room.“Go ahead,” I reply.She dis
Lumi’s POV I didn’t remember getting into the car. One second I was walking out of that house, the next, I was seated, door slammed, breathing too fast. “Lumi.” Clover’s voice. I blinked, my hands were shaking. Still, I pressed them against my thighs, trying to steady them. It didn’t work. “Hey
Briggs’ POV“What do you think you’re doing?”Fedric’s voice comes out sharper than I expected, but not stronger. He’s already stepping backward. Already realizing this isn’t a conversation.The door shuts behind me with a quiet click.Riki moves in after me, casual, almost bored, but I know him we
Briggs’ POVDon’t get me wrong. I never knew I parked that long in front of them. If I had, I would’ve moved. I’m not that careless. I don’t do unnecessary inconvenience. At least, not without reason.When I first noticed them, I assumed they were waiting for someone. Two women standing by a car,







