LOGINMaya’s POV Jamie clears his throat. “So far, no sign of Salvatore or Kendall. I have men scouting the warehouse where we sighted them the other day, but,” he shakes his head. “Nothing. My best guess? They’ve gone underground.”“Separately,” he adds. I catch Lucien’s brow tilt. “Separately?” He doesn’t look surprised, though. It’s almost as if Jamie’s confirming what he suspected. Jamie nods. “Yeah. I tracked their movements—Kendall especially, since he vanished before your brother did. My sources say Salvatore was looking for him. My best guess?” He shrugs. “He must’ve double-crossed him. You said something about Kendall blackmailing other families.”“Yes.” I glance at Lucien. He leans forward, placing a hand on his knee. “His position in the CIA gave him access to their offshore activities. And having the government behind him must’ve been enough to push them to agree.”“I should’ve known.”Lucien turns to me, his gaze soft. “Known that he was dirty?”I nod, feeling a tiny ache
Maya’s POV The sound of laughter wakes me from sleep. I pull the pillow closer with a frustrated groan, digging my heels into the sheets. A little more sleep. I haven’t slept up to three hours, and my body’s sore all over. It’s my fault—and Lucien’s—and while I’m certainly not complaining, I don’t think I could get out of bed without my legs wobbling. Yup. That’s what happens when you’re determined to get naked in every single room in a house that has too many of them. We ended up in an unused study after swimming laps in the pool…and well, we made a bunch of noise pushing things around. Then, Lucien dragged me to the kitchen, where he made cereal, because it was the only thing in the pantry. My stomach grumbles loudly, and I wrap my hands around it when a sharp pain slices through. Food. I need to eat. “Ugh,” I groan, dragging myself out of bed. My knees wobble, as I’d expected, but I don’t crumple to the ground, thankfully. I glance around. Robe. My clothes are somewhere…
Lucien’s POV“Lucien…” Her brows crease, and I hesitate when she pulls her lower lip between her teeth, in thought. “What is it, mi amor?”She shakes her head, but the worry doesn’t leave her eyes. I trace her eyebrows, the defined curve below them, her cheekbones, the faint trail of hair on either side of her face. My fingers brush over her lips, her breath warm against my skin. “What is it?” I ask softly. “Your brother,” she says. “I know, Antonio,” she murmurs. “But Salvatore’s different. You said you thought he sent the man to Adrianna’s school—which means he’s capable of hurting her, too.”“He wouldn’t,” I say firmly, smiling a little as I gently caress her cheek with the back of my fingers. “I made sure to leave a warning.”Her brows shoot up, scrunching slightly. “A warning? You confronted him?”I shake my head. “No. Not really. Remember Switzerland?” She nods. “I found out who Kendall was working for.”“Him.”I swallow thickly as I nod. “Yeah. My brother’s been stealing fr
Lucien’s POVMy cock throbs inside her, swollen and relentless, every thrust drawing a broken gasp from her lips. The way her cunt clenches around me, wet and desperate, tells me she’s close again. Too soon. I want more.“I haven’t fucked you yet,” I murmur, my mouth tipping with a pleased smile. “And you’re about to have an orgasm?”“I—” she shudders, her mouth falling open as I thrust in slowly. “I don’t know.” “I do,” I say proudly, lazily thrusting in and out. “You want me as much as I want you. We crave each other, mi amor.”My hands grip her ass to steady her position, and I turn, striding down the hall toward the first door on the left—the main suite. The wood is cool under my palm as I kick it open, the hinges groaning softly. The room is vast, the bed a monstrous thing draped in black silk, the sheets still pristine, untouched. Perfect.I toss her onto the mattress, and she bounces once, twice, her hair fanning out around her like a dark halo. Her chest heaves, her blouse
Lucien’s POVI deepen the kiss instantly, angling my head, my grip tightening as I pull her closer, closing every inch of space between us. Her fingers clutch at my shirt, fisting the fabric as she holds on, and I feel the slight tremble in her hands.My tongue brushes against her lower lip, slow at first, testing.She responds, opening for me.The kiss turns deeper, hungrier, my tongue sliding against hers, slow and deliberate before it turns rougher, more demanding, like I’m trying to consume every breath she gives me.She answers me just as fiercely.Her grip tightens, her body pressing closer, her breath hitching as the kiss shifts from something emotional into something dangerously close to overwhelming.My hand slides from her hair to her jaw, my thumb brushing along her cheek as I tilt her head slightly, taking more, giving more, not willing to pull back.There’s nothing but the heat of her mouth, the way she moves against me, the way every breath we take feels shared.When I f
Lucien’s POV I stumble backwards, nearly knocked off my feet as Maya launches herself at me. She throws her arms around my neck, holding me tight. “Lucien,” she whispers. “Lucien.” She clings to me, burying her face in my chest. My jaw clenches as I cradle the back of her head, my fingers threading gently through her hair. I hold her tight—not wanting to let go— feeling my heart pound loudly in my ears. I’m glad I came. I almost talked myself out of it, tried convincing myself that I was only going to leave again. I was only going to break her heart…Adrianna’s heart, for the umpteenth time. But I found myself heading here before I realized I’d taken the wrong route. I couldn’t…I needed to see her so much that it felt like I was going to die. Maya’s hands slide lower, her fingers clutching my shirt. I feel something wet on my skin. “I’m here,” I murmur hoarsely as something breaks inside of me. “I’m sorry I didn’t call sooner.” I kiss her forehead, burying my face in her hair.
MayaIt’s the end of the week, and I feel like I can finally breathe. It is two days away from the office, and away from Lucien. I am planning on using it as much as I can.Arianna has been sleeping more than anything. After I picked her up at the school, she has been sick, and I dedicated myself t
Lucien Her daughter.At the thought of her, I feel something clench in my chest again. I can't help but feel connected to her all over again.I don't know if I am just overthinking it, and she isn't related to me. Maybe I am thinking things because she is Maya's daughter. But then, she has my eyes
It is Monday again, and for the first time, I am dreading going back to work.“You can skip work,” Arianna says, and I smile down at her. “You let me skip school sometimes too.”I wish I could tell her that it isn't like that at work. But I don't have that energy. After I got home from that dinner
Maya I feel my hands dig into my dress immediately. Is this why he called me here? To see that he is out on a date with his fiancée? What does he even take me for?His fiancée has the same look on her face as she looks between me and Lucien. I look away from Lucien. It’s useless looking at him. I







