The Taste of Surrender

When his thumb parted her lips, an overwhelming wave of desire crashed through her. God help her, she wanted to feel that intense, consuming passion with him all over again.

Before her rational mind could scream at her to push him away, Lucian's control violently snapped.

With a feral growl, his hands tangled in her long, dark hair, and his mouth crashed down onto hers. It wasn't a gentle kiss. It was a collision of five years of agonizing regret, pent up obsession, and raw, unfiltered need.

Zara gasped against his mouth, and that was all the invitation he needed. His tongue swept inside, tasting her, claiming her with a ruthless dominance that sent a violent shockwave straight to her core. Her hands flew up to his chest to push him back, but the moment her palms flattened against the hard, burning muscles beneath his crisp white shirt, her fingers betrayed her. Instead of pushing, she gripped his shirt and pulled him closer.

Lucian let out a dark, ragged sound of triumph. His massive hands gripped her waist, effortlessly lifting her and pulling her onto his lap.

Straddling his thighs in the back of the moving Maybach, the sharp crimson blazer parted just enough. Lucian's large, warm hand slid under the fabric, his calloused fingertips brushing against the bare, sensitive skin of her stomach.

"Zara," he rasped against her lips, his breath hot and ragged as he realized she truly wore nothing beneath the silk. "You are going to be the absolute death of me."

His hand moved higher, his thumb grazing the heavy underside of her breast. A shameful, broken moan slipped from Zara's throat. She arched into his touch, her body remembering the exact rhythm of his dominance. The intoxicating scent of his cedarwood cologne wrapped around her like a drug, pulling her deeper into the dark, heavy heat of the backseat.

For one breathless, chaotic moment, the billionaire CEO and the revenge driven mother ceased to exist. There was only the fire between them.

But as his lips trailed down her jaw, pressing hot, open-mouthed kisses along her exposed neck, a sudden flash of memory hit her like a bucket of ice water.

The freezing rain. The heavy oak doors slamming in her face. The terrifying realization that she was entirely alone with three babies growing inside her.

"No."

Zara gasped, her eyes snapping open. The icy reality of what she was doing crashed over her. She tore her mouth away from his, her chest heaving as she shoved her hands against his shoulders.

"Zara" Lucian's voice was thick with pure lust, his dark eyes blown wide, his hands still gripping her hips.

"Let me go, Lucian," she commanded, her voice trembling but laced with absolute steel. She scrambled off his lap, retreating to the opposite side of the massive leather seat. She hastily pulled the crimson blazer tight across her chest, her breathing jagged.

Lucian sat there, his chest rising and falling heavily. He looked like a starved predator who had just had a feast ripped from his jaws. He ran a shaking hand through his dark hair, closing his eyes as he fought to rein in the explosive desire coursing through his veins.

"You don't get to do this," Zara said, her voice dripping with fresh anger as she stared at the man who had just shattered her defenses in seconds. "You don't get to buy me with three billion dollars of tech assets and a truckload of roses, and then think you can just kiss me into submission. I am not the naive little maid you broke five years ago."

Lucian slowly opened his eyes. The raw lust was still there, burning like coals, but it was mixed with a deep, agonizing sorrow.

He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, looking at her with total, devastating honesty.

"I know you aren't," Lucian said quietly. "The woman I broke is gone. And I have to live with the guilt of killing her every single day. But the woman sitting in front of me? The CEO who looked me in the eye and threatened to tear my empire to the ground?"

A dark, incredibly possessive smirk touched the corner of his lips.

"That woman is a queen," he murmured, his voice vibrating through the soundproof cabin. "And I'm not trying to buy your submission, Zara. I am giving you mine."

Before Zara could process the heavy weight of his words, the Maybach smoothly rolled to a stop.

The driver opened the door, letting the cool night air flood into the heated cabin. Zara looked out, expecting to see a crowded, five star restaurant. Instead, they were parked in front of a massive, heavily gated private estate overlooking the ocean a property that had not been there five years ago.

"Where are we?" Zara asked, her guard instantly going up.

Lucian stepped out of the car, turning back to offer her his hand.

"I told you I was taking my family back," Lucian said softly, the city lights reflecting in his intense dark eyes. "I built this house for you. For us. And we aren't leaving until you hear exactly what happened the night I lost you."