Chapter 1

“Get your hands off my husband, Elizabeth,” I said, gritting my teeth while keeping a smile on my face.

Elizabeth was Lucas's friend. At least, that was what he'd always told me.

I had no reason to dislike her, really. Except that she was always touching my husband, and he never seemed particularly bothered by it.

Maybe I was being unreasonable. Maybe I was just one of those wives who saw a threat in every woman who smiled at her husband.

Still, I didn't like the way she looked at him.

Elizabeth pulled her hand away from his arm and gave me a sweet little smile. “Avianna, honestly. I was only talking to him.”

“I know.” I returned her smile. “I was only joking.”

Lucas let out a quiet laugh beside me. “Pardon my wife, everyone. She's very territorial.”

He winked at the people standing around us, making it sound like I was being cute. A few of them laughed.

I didn't.

Instead, he slipped an arm around my waist and pulled me closer.

“She's been keeping me on my toes since the day I met her,” he added.

I smiled because everyone was watching, but inside, I was annoyed. I didn't want to embarrass Lucas at his own event. The gala was important, and he had spent weeks preparing for it. Still, it would have been nice if he understood why I was upset.

“Oh, Avianna,” Elizabeth said, her voice soft and friendly. “I was just telling Lucas that a few people have been asking to meet him. They were hoping to discuss business.”

“That's lovely.” I rested my hand on Lucas's chest. “My husband is a busy man. I'm sure he'll find the time.”

Elizabeth's smile didn't change. “Of course.”

The rest of the evening passed without another incident. People congratulated Lucas, made generous contributions to the cause, and asked him about his plans for the company. I stood beside him, smiling when I needed to and making conversation with the guests.

Lucas was in his element. He knew how to speak to people, how to make them feel important, and how to leave them wanting another conversation. It was one of the things I had loved about him from the beginning.

He was also attentive to me. Whenever someone approached, he introduced me proudly. He checked whether I needed a drink, brought me food when he noticed I hadn't eaten, and kissed my forehead when he passed behind my chair.

By the time we left, I had almost convinced myself to forget about Elizabeth.

The drive home was quiet. Lucas drove with one hand on the steering wheel while the other rested on my thigh. He asked if I had enjoyed the evening, and I told him I had.

It wasn't a lie. Most of it was lovely.

“Are you tired?” he asked.

“A little.”

“Then go to bed when we get home. I'll be right behind you.”

I nodded and said nothing else.

I didn't want to start an argument in the car. I also didn't want to spend the night pretending that nothing had happened. I kept replaying the way Elizabeth had touched him, and the way he had laughed when I called her out.

Maybe I was making too much of it. Lucas had never given me a reason to doubt him before.

At least, not one I could point to.

I had never been the kind of woman who checked her husband's phone or questioned every female name that appeared on his screen. I trusted Lucas. I wanted to keep trusting him, because the thought of being wrong about the man I had built my life around was almost as frightening as the thought of being right, and I wasn't ready to face either possibility just yet.

The moment we stepped inside the house, I turned around and slapped him.

Lucas stared at me, one hand rising to his cheek. “Avianna?”

“What the hell was that at the gala?” I demanded. “You just stood there and let her hang all over you. Do you have any respect for your wife?”

“Baby, what are you talking about?”

“Don't do that. You know exactly what I'm talking about.”

He set his keys on the table and stepped towards me. I moved back, but he caught my hands gently.

“Elizabeth?”

“Yes, Elizabeth. Who else?”

He sighed and pulled me into his arms. “I didn't even notice her hand was on me. I was talking to the men in front of us.”

I looked up at him. “You didn't notice?”

“No, Avi. I was distracted. And can you please stop calling her my mistress?”

“Then tell her to stop acting like one.”

His expression changed. Not dramatically, but enough for me to notice.

“Nothing is going on between Elizabeth and me,” he said. “I've told you that more than once. It's beginning to upset me that you keep assuming the worst.”

“I spend every day with you. I come home to you. I take you everywhere with me. What else do you want me to do to prove that you're the only woman I want?”

“I want you to stop letting her touch you like that.”

“Then I'll speak to her, if that's what you need.” He brushed his thumb over my knuckles. “But you have to stop turning every little thing into a problem.”

I frowned. “It wasn't a little thing to me.”

“I know.” He leaned down and kissed my forehead. “I'm sorry it upset you.”

Lucas cupped my face and waited until I looked at him.

“Listen to me, Avianna Vica. I've never been with another woman since I married you. I've never loved another woman the way I love you. Why would I go looking elsewhere when I have a beautiful wife waiting for me at home?”

I tried not to smile. “You always know what to say.”

He kissed my cheek, then the corner of my mouth. His hands settled at my waist, drawing me closer.

He laughed and kissed me properly this time. I had planned to keep arguing. I had even prepared a list of things I wanted him to explain. But Lucas had always been good at making the rest of the world disappear when he held me.

Maybe I really was overthinking things. Lucas loved me. He showed me that every day. He was a good husband, and I knew how lucky I was to have him.

Still, as he led me towards the bedroom, one thought stayed with me.

I hoped he would keep his promise and speak to Elizabeth.

Lucas waited until Avianna was asleep before getting out of bed.

He stood beside her for a moment, watching her breathe. Then he picked up his phone and checked the message waiting on the screen.

Are you coming?

He typed a short reply.

On my way.

He slipped out of the room, careful not to wake his wife, and collected his keys from the table downstairs.

A little while later, he stood outside an apartment. The door opened before he could knock twice.

“You took your time.”

“I had to wait.”

Lucas stepped inside, and walked into the bedroom, dropped his phone on the bedside table and sat on the edge of the bed.

“Come here,” he said.

The person standing near the doorway smiled, then slowly approached.

“I missed you.”

Lucas looked up, his expression changing.

“Did you?”

“You have no idea.”

Lucas leaned back against the pillows, watching as the distance between them disappeared.

“Then stop standing there and show me how much Julian.”