Annalise prepared herself to meet the entire Hamilton family once again, but first of all, she was going to have lunch with Lance only. After winning the first round, she was willing to celebrate a little bit, and maybe enjoy the rest of their stay. Lance was quite relaxed, so she dressed for the occasion, and soon after, they left the hotel suite. But the nice lunch by the harbor never happened. As they were exiting the hotel, Flora and the rest of the Hamilton family ran into them. His mom was so genuinely thrilled to see Annalise and Lance. Flora told her eldest son they were on the way to lunch and had the magnificent idea of having lunch all together, before going to the terrace for the very informal wedding rehearsal. Annalise couldn’t understand the need for a rehearsal, since there were few people invited to the event. Maybe Flora wanted to indulge Guinevere’s romantic whims. Still, it was evidently important for this family to keep up appearanc

“Oh, sweetheart, there you are.” Lance sighed when Flora latched on to his arm and dragged him over to introduce him to people he had zero interest in and would never see again in his life. Lance smiled at her, but what he wanted to do was to get Annalise and leave that room. After several minutes of useless pleasantries, Lance grew restless. The song ended, and he turned toward the dancefloor, in search of Annalise. She was nowhere to be seen. His father was making his way through the crowd toward him and Flora, but Annalise was not with him. He looked around, almost in desperation, until he finally found her. Annalise was dancing with Arthur! She did not look altogether thrilled, but Arthur was smiling as he was holding Annalise way too close. That slimy little prick! Arthur went too far! He had warned his brother to stay away from his woman! Lance felt a wave of irrational anger explod

“Have I told you how amazing it was?” Annalise whispered some time after their lovemaking. Lance was lying sprawled on his belly, his face buried in the sheets smelling of cherry blossoms and vanilla. The same scent he caught from Annalise’s skin. The same scent that drove him mad the whole evening. “Once or twice,” he replied. Annalise smoothed a hand down his back. She pressed her lips to his shoulder and pushed up onto her elbow. He could feel the ends of her hair brushing his skin. Part of him felt like he could lie there for all eternity, just enjoying the touch of her hands on his back. “I will never forget this night, Lance,” she added sweetly. “We can make it even more memorable,” Lance said. He flipped onto his back and sat up, reaching down to cup his hand over her sex. She was still wet from him. Lance held her gaze as he pushed his finger inside. The slick, wet walls of her sex clasped him tightly. He groaned, pulled out the finger and su

In another few minutes, he would wake up Annalise. But for now, with her warm, naked body curled up in front of his, the white sheets thrown haphazardly over both of their waists, Lance luxuriated in the satisfaction and pleasure settling deep within him. The kind of mind and body relaxation that came in the aftermath of an incredible, mind-blowing release. Undeniably, the sex with her had been amazing. Hot, steamy, and consuming… They were so in sync that it was as though they’d been lovers for centuries. Yet beyond the fantastic orgasms that had been the culmination of their passionate moments, something more intimate had flared brightly between them, especially toward morning. An emotional connection he’d felt, and one she seemed to struggle against. A caring yet passionate kind of bond he’d been without for all these years and hadn’t known had been missing from his life until Annalise walked into his life. Closing his eyes, Lan

Perplexed, Lance drank the champagne in one breath, left his empty glass on a table, and quickly followed her on the terrace. Annalise was standing there, looking at the ocean. She was the most heavenly vision... Lance came near her and pulled her towards him until her back went against his chest. Annalise was trembling and he kept her in that embrace. “Angel, are you alright? Did I say something wrong?” When she finally spoke, her voice was so shaky and Lance held her even more. “No… You said everything I needed to hear…” “Good…” he whispered into her ear. “Then why did you run away from me?” “Because I felt… I suddenly felt overwhelmed and I couldn’t breathe.” Annalise wriggled out of his arms and took a few steps away. Then she turned to face him but, somehow, she kept her head down. Lance felt the urge to take her in his arms again, to… comfort her, if that was what she needed. “Listen, I know why you brought me here,” Annalise continued. “I also under