LOGINScarlett:The universe had impeccable timing.Lucien did not seem to appreciate that. The naught in his eyes when he looked ready to continue whatever sinful idea had just cross his mind was now replaced by a hint of irritation as his phone lit up against the marble.His expression shifted as he glanced at the screen.“Marla,” he muttered.Right.He reached for the phone but not before his hand settled against my waist and pulled me forward onto the stool, then his fingers flexed once like he disliked having to step away at all.“Stay right here,” he said distractedly before answering.And then just like that, he shifted. Not completely. I could still feel traces of whatever had been happening between us lingering in the air. But the second the call started, something sharper settled over him. Colder. Focused.Business Lucien.I picked the mug and took a sip of the coffee while pretending I wasn’t staring at him. That failed miserably. Because unfairly attractive included listening to
She turned to face me fully and my eyes drifted once again.Who looked that good this early in the morning?Scarlett, apparently.Even with her eyes narrowed slightly like she was fighting the beginning of a headache, she still looked unfairly attractive.And speaking of headaches, the hangover had probably caught up to her by now.She cleared her throat, dragging me from my thoughts. Thoughts I was quite certain she had a rough idea about considering how flushed she suddenly looked.“I usually wake up early for work,” she said, tugging at the robe like it did anything to help the length.Then, seemingly realizing it was useless, she straightened instead, injecting defiance into her posture as her gaze dropped briefly to the bottle in her hand.“Was there some sort of party I wasn’t informed about?” she asked, gesturing lightly with it.I glanced at the bottle, the corner of my mouth curving. “You think contracts and whiskey qualify as a party?”“Well,” she lifted it slightly, “the bo
~ Lucien:....By the time I signed the last contract Marla had flagged for approval, it was already past three in the morning.The Glenn merger files were still open across one side of the screen beside project reports, acquisition summaries, and updates from legal regarding the ongoing lawsuit against Glenford.I skimmed through the latest update briefly before returning my attention to Glenn’s email.The merger was happening. We both knew it. Eden would benefit from the partnership, Glenn Holdings would gain the expansion leverage they wanted, and neither of us were wasting time pretending otherwise.The issue was that Glenn Andrews liked resistance.He was the kind of businessman who liked dragging negotiations out just enough to see who lost patience first.Tonight’s email had been another unnecessarily detailed revision of terms I’d already reviewed twice earlier in the week. Nothing substantial had changed. No hidden clauses. No strategic shifts.Just Glenn reminding everyone i
I barely had time to process his words. Wrapping one strong arm around my waist, Lucien flipped me over, laying me back first on the couch with no effort at all. He lifted my legs, placing them over his shoulders as he took his position between them.And then, he slammed back inside me.Hard.“Oh my god.” I cried out, my hand clawing at the arm rest above me as he pistoned into me. I was still sensitive from my orgasm so the sensation was different now. Richer.It felt so good, it was devastating.My pulse raced everywhere — in my chest, my neck, my finger tips.“Fuck, Scarlett,” he gritted, gripping my hip and pulling me tighter against him. “You feel like heaven.”I clenched around him at the sound of his voice.A low groan left him.“Come for me,” he growled. “Come all over my cock. Now.”And I did.Harder this time.My orgasm hit hard, dragging a sharp cry out of me as my body convulsed beneath him.He followed moments later with a low, guttural groan, stilling as he finished ins
The elevator ride up to the penthouse felt endless, tension humming between us like something seconds away from detonating.Lucien stood beside me, facing forward, expression unreadable except for the faint tightness in his jaw.I couldn’t tell if it came from impatience, the fact that we were stuck in a public elevator, or both.Then his eyes flicked toward me briefly, and I had my answer.They were still dark with the same intensity he’d worn in the car.The sight of it sent warmth curling low in my stomach, my knees suddenly less reliable than they should’ve been.Finally, the elevator stopped at the last residential floor before the penthouse. The two other occupants stepped out first, both casting us mildly confused glances when neither of us moved to follow.Lucien waited until the doors slid shut again before stepping forward and pressing the button for the private penthouse level.The elevator lurched back into motion.And for the next thirty seconds, I focused entirely on the
..... “I’d hope she is.”Khalid spoke first, before I could, the corner of his mouth tilting slightly.“She’s excellent company.”My eyes shut briefly as I exhaled through my nose.Then, before Lucien could react, he straightened and extended his hand across the counter.“Scarlett’s boss, I presume,” he said, voice smooth, with no edge like I’d have imagined. He really was just putting that out there. “Khalid.”I nearly sighed into my drink.Lucien looked at the offered hand for a fraction of a second before taking it.“Lucien.”The handshake was brief. Firm enough to mean something.Lucien’s gaze lingered on him for a beat longer and the air shifted subtly. Not hostile, but charged with the quiet awareness of two men sizing each other up without making it obvious.I cleared my throat softly, cutting through whatever was happening.“Your meeting’s over?” Obviously. This was a just a disastrously mundane attempt to quell the awkwardness.He nodded once, sliding a hand into his pocket
Lucien’s hips snapped forward, slamming into me at a relentless pace that stole my breath and sent waves of pleasure tearing through me.The sound of our skin slapping filled the room, tangled with my broken breaths, his grunts, and the sting of him stretching me open.“Oh God...don’t stop please..
“I want you to fuck me.”The words left my mouth half-plea, half moan. My head fell back as his mouth kept working me. His hands were everywhere, grabbing my curves, my ass. Fuck. My mind was a haze.“Say it again,” He pulled back, meeting my half-lidded gaze. His hand moved from my ass to my waist
Later, the next day…The room was alive as more of the guests filtered in. Business partners. Investors. People I could tolerate for a few hours if it meant keeping them pleased. Laughter rose over soft music, crystal catching light at every angle. Precision disguised as indulgence.The night was u
The night winding down should’ve brought relief. It didn’t.Too much was brewing beneath the mask of a perfect smile. My jaw ached from holding it in place. The low, continuous hum between my thighs had me shifting subtly in my heels, my body wound too tight to be comfortable.Every nerve was lit u







