Chapter 3

Georgina West

I put on a forced smile as I knocked on the door. Despite feeling exhausted and not in the mood to deal with people, I knew I had to talk to Archer about what he did earlier.

Just because I don't address his flirting doesn't mean he can touch me like that. I'm baffled by what kind of satisfaction he gets from teasing me this way. Archer could easily attract a woman much more attractive than me, so his advances towards me are entirely uncalled for.

At times, I'm convinced he's aware of the impact he has on me and enjoys exploiting it.

"Hello, Georgie. I assume you're back after dropping the idiot off at his house," Archer commented as he opened the door, prompting an eye roll from me.

"Stop calling him that," I responded, feeling exasperated as I walked past him.

"The kids are asleep. It's past ten. Why are you so late?" he inquired, trailing behind me as we headed towards the kitchen.

"Well, my boss has me working on this case, and it's consuming a lot of my time. Plus, dropping Toby home can be time-consuming," I sighed, entering the kitchen and reaching for the refrigerator to take a refreshing gulp of cold water.

Finally.

"I'll never understand why you left the family business to work in a law firm," he remarked, once again bringing up a topic we've discussed countless times before.

"Family business? You mean me defending criminals and finding loopholes to break the law?" I began my rant, only to be interrupted by his correction.

"Not break the law. Just bend it," he clarified, earning another eye roll from me.

"Regardless, I felt a tremendous sense of guilt doing that kind of work. Now, I can't do much about being associated with you—we share two children—but at least I can distance myself from those matters as much as possible. I also don't want our children to be part of this lifestyle," I explained, relieved when he agreed with my last point.

"Yeah, but what's the primary reason for leaving your job?" he probed further, causing me to finally meet his gaze directly.

"You know we wouldn't be able to work together. We're doing a great job raising our kids, we hardly argue, but if we were to work together, it would be a disaster. Plus, there's Aurora. Where is she?" I intentionally draw out her name to tease him, earning another eye roll in response.

"She's in the conference room. Setting up a meeting for tomorrow. The builders are coming in," he informed me, and I noticed a large cake with just a few slices missing sitting prominently in the fridge.

"Cake, huh. Do you want some?" I asked him as I cut myself a generous slice. Since I hadn't had dinner, this slice of cake could serve as a substitute. "Also, where is everyone else?"

"No, thanks. I already had some when I had dinner with everyone around 9 pm. They've all retired to their rooms and should be asleep soon. And you? Have you had dinner?" he questioned while I glanced at him with a spoon in my mouth, debating whether to answer truthfully or not.

"Umm... I..." I began as I absentmindedly licked the spoon.

"Go and sit at the dining table. I'll heat up some dinner for you," he suggested, placing his hand on my shoulder and guiding me towards the dining room.

"No, I'm fine. I had this large slice of cake. I'm not hungry for a full meal," I replied, nibbling on my cake to make it last longer.

Unfortunately, I couldn't indulge in another slice.

"Are you kidding? Is that your idea of a meal now? This isn't healthy," he said with frustration evident in his tone. He walked back to the kitchen, and I followed him immediately.

"No, Archer, really. I don't have an appetite. Don't bother warming anything up," I whined, taking the dish of meatloaf from his hand and setting it on the counter.

"You work all day, drink way too much coffee, look after the kids, and deal with that manchild you're dating. You need proper nutrition," he lectured, earning a groan from me.

"It's easy for you to say that now," I muttered under my breath, not wanting to escalate things into a full-blown argument as I felt a headache creeping in.

Perhaps I do need to maintain a proper diet.

"Tell me what you mean," he ordered, causing me to glare at him as he handed me the plate.

"I don't want this much. It's too much," I complained, attempting to put the plate back, but he thwarted my effort.

"Just eat it. Did you have lunch, or was it just a few chips?" I pursed my lips at his questions, realizing it was just chips.

"Doll, I won't repeat myself. How can you expect your children to eat well if you're not setting the example?" he insisted, and we returned to the dining table. I took a seat and eagerly tucked into the delectable meatloaf and potatoes.

Alright, perhaps I was genuinely craving real food.

"What did you mean by 'it's easy for you to say'?" Archer inquired, taking his place across from me while idly tracing the rim of his whiskey glass.

"Nothing," I mumbled with a mouthful of food.

"I only say it because I think your boyfriend is an idiot who keeps making backhanded comments about your body, and I don't want you to develop an eating disorder," he launched into another one of his lectures, causing anger to simmer within me.

Let it slip, Georgie.

"It's easy for you to say that because I'm not your wife anymore. So it doesn't really matter how I look to you," I blurted out, inwardly chastising myself for my lack of self-control. "You don't have to see me naked anymore, so a few extra pounds wouldn't make a difference to you. That's why you can have this perspective now, where you're encouraging me to eat well and all that." I continued eating my food as I spoke.

I think I'm constantly affected by hormonal changes, and skipping meals makes me even more irritable and emotional. Because I hadn't eaten the whole day, I was now reacting emotionally and saying things I wished I hadn't.

But to be fair, Archer had always been the person I shared every unfiltered thought with since childhood, so restraining myself from doing so now was difficult.

I can't hold back from him; somehow, I always end up telling him everything. The worst part about our breakup was losing my best friend, even though by the time we separated, we were barely friends. Yet, for some inexplicable reason, the unique connection we share refuses to fade away.

"Sweetheart, I would love to see you naked. But you're always wearing those loose clothes. I have to rely on my memory because of that," he remarked casually, taking a sip of his whiskey. I choked on my food, leading to a fit of coughing as his large hand rubbed my back while I drank some water to calm myself down.

"That's not what I meant. I said—how did you interpret what I said like that... Okay, no, I can't do this," I stammered, finishing my food and quickly standing up from my seat.

"What did you want to say? That I wouldn't find you attractive if you gained a few pounds?" he inquired, following me back to the kitchen as I began to wash my dish.

"I've already gained a 'few' pounds after giving birth, and you didn't find me attractive then," I reminded him, still avoiding making direct eye contact.

"That was unrelated to you. It was about my own mental state. I was worried about the safety of our children and your safety. And when I did try to initiate something, you stopped me," he shrugged, causing me to chuckle.

"I didn't want to be your pity fuck, Archer," I said with a wry laugh, placing the dish on the drying rack.

My breath caught in my throat as I turned around, spotting Archer near the kitchen doorframe. His strong jaw clenched, and his eyes turned dark as he stared at me intensely. I swallowed nervously, wondering if I had crossed a line by referring to myself as a 'pity fuck.'

"I should get going now that the kids are asleep. You can take them to school tomorrow as usual so I can sleep in for an extra hour. I'll pick them up at six; luckily, I have a half-day tomorrow," I rambled, moving around the kitchen with nervous energy, unsettled by the oppressive silence that had enveloped the room.

Archer refused to speak, and his angry stare unnerved and frightened me. Among the Lancaster brothers, Archer was known for his calm demeanor. He rarely showed anger, and I'd never heard him yell, even once.

As I headed towards him, I realized there was only one way out of the kitchen—I had to pass by him. Judging by his demeanor, it seemed unlikely that he would be the one to step aside.

Ducking slightly to move beneath his arms, I suddenly felt his strong grip around my waist, forcefully pushing me against the wall, and I let out an audible gasp. His hand pressed against my back as I struggled to catch my breath.

"Sweetheart, you've been clinging to the same narrative for the past five years. As patient as I've been, that thread is wearing thin. I won't be responsible for what happens next. There was never a time in my life when I didn't find you attractive," he declared, making my heart race. I pushed against his chest, attempting to break free, but he only drew closer, our breaths mingling.

"Archer, let me go," I pleaded breathlessly, my hands shaking as his imposing presence made me go weak in my knees.

"How about this? I’ll prove you wrong," he suggested, his words sparking panic within me.

What did he mean by that?

"I don't understand," I stammered, wide-eyed as I met his intense gaze, my palms still pressing against his unyielding chest.

"How about I show you the effect you have on me?" he murmured in my ear, sending shivers down my spine and causing butterflies to flutter in my stomach.

"No, please, let go of me. Besides, you can't do what you did today, especially right in front of my boyfriend," I implored, feeling his nose nuzzling against the warm skin of my neck, trailing down to my collarbone.

"If we were alone then and I had you in that position, I would have hiked up that tight little skirt and fucked you on that table, nothing we haven't done before, right?" he reminded me, memories of past encounters with Archer flashing through my mind.

Oh no.

"Archer, for the love of God, what's gotten into you lately?!" I exclaimed, pushing against him with all my might. But he didn't budge, not even an inch.

Why is he so incredibly strong?

"Well, your comments and taunts have gotten to me. They're false and fabricated," he claimed, and I couldn't help but roll my eyes.

"Are you seriously trying lawyer talk on me?" I retorted, and he chuckled.

"Yes, and I think I deserve some compensation," he stated, his finger tracing my waist and stomach.

"What do you want?" I asked breathlessly, my mind turning to mush.

"Let me fuck you, just once, for old times' sake," he rumbled in a deep voice, and the word ‘fuck’ coming from his mouth sent shivers down my spine.

"Archer, I'll kill you. Stop this," I snapped at him, gasping as he suddenly turned me around, my left cheek pressed against the wall.

"See? This is what you do to me," he groaned, his voice tinged with desire as his hardness grounds into my ass, his hands holding my hips tightly. I whimper as he starts dry humping me against the wall hard and fast making wetness pool in my underwear, “Come on, let me take off those clothes.” He says as I feel his fingers unbuttoning my top making me snap out of the trance.

I pushed against him, my heart pounding, as he continued his pursuit, his fingers deftly unbuttoning my top.

Panicking, I managed to shove him away, hastily buttoning up my top and staring at him in disbelief. I couldn't believe this was happening right now. What did he want from me? Why was he playing this game after five whole years?

In a hurry, I grabbed my bag to leave when a voice abruptly stopped me in my tracks. "Archer, where did you go? I can't find the Roland file."

Oh no.

Aurora.