All Chapters of Lust & Love: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

The sharp, freezing wind of San Francisco whipped off the bay, cutting through Hazel’s wool coat the moment she stepped out of the Vanguard Holdings lobby. It was barely past six in the evening, but the sky was already dark, the city illuminated by streetlights and the endless crawl of headlights.Hazel let out a long, exhausted breath, pulling her scarf tighter around her neck. Her legs felt heavy. The adrenaline from the morning’s presentation had completely crashed, leaving her drained.Every time she closed her eyes, she still saw him. Xavier Sterling.The man was entirely intimidating. He hadn't yelled, he hadn't threatened her, but the sheer, oppressive weight of his presence had been enough to make her hands shake. He was the kind of man who looked at people like they were pieces on a chessboard, easily moved or discarded. Hazel rubbed her arms, trying to shake the lingering chill of his cold blue eyes. He was just a scary, powerful boss. She had survived the meeting, she still

Hazel’s phone buzzed on the glass surface of her desk. She immediately dropped her pen and picked it up, hoping to see Liam’s face pop up for a video call.Instead, it was just a short text.Liam: Hey Haze. The board meeting ran three hours late. I'm completely dead. Going straight to sleep so I don't miss the morning site tour. Sorry I missed your call again. Love you.Hazel stared at the bright screen. She typed back quickly: It's okay. Get some rest. Love you too.She locked the screen and placed the phone face down on the desk. The fifteen-hour time difference was brutal. She hadn't heard his actual voice in four days."Ms. Evans."Hazel jumped slightly, looking up. Xavier’s executive assistant was standing in the open doorway of her office, holding a sleek tablet."Yes?" Hazel asked, sitting up straight."Grab your coat and the printed Q4 projection files," the assistant instructed briskly. "Mr. Sterling’s car is waiting in the private loading bay. You are accompanying him to an o

The words had barely left his lips before his mouth crashed down onto hers.There was no hesitation, no gentle build-up, and absolutely no asking for permission. It was a brutal, claiming collision of heat and teeth that completely stole the remaining oxygen from Hazel’s lungs.Hazel let out a muffled, desperate sound against his mouth. She didn't pull back. Instead, her hands instantly flew up, tangling fiercely into the thick, dark hair at the nape of his neck. She kissed him back with every ounce of the ruined, feral desperation burning inside her. She tasted the sharp, cold bite of her own vodka mixed with the rich, dark flavor of his scotch.Xavier’s tongue swept into her mouth, completely taking over. His kiss was dominant, ruthless, and entirely consuming. His large hands gripped her hips, his thumbs pressing deeply into the soft, bare skin of her waist as he completely devoured her mouth.Hazel’s body felt like it was instantly engulfed in flames. Her head spun wildly, the over

Hazel woke up with a low, rough groan.She tried to sit up, but her head felt incredibly heavy, a relentless, vicious drumming pounding against the inside of her skull. She managed to push herself into a sitting position, immediately dropping her elbows onto her knees and burying her face in her hands. She pressed the heels of her palms tightly against her temples, trying desperately to keep her head from splitting open.Her mouth felt terribly sore. Her tongue was dry and thick, coated in the stale, lingering taste of alcohol. She swallowed, wincing at the scratchy, raw feeling in her throat. She sat there in the quiet room for a long moment, keeping her eyes closed, simply trying to wake up and shake off the heavy, dizzying fog of the hangover.Slowly, with great effort, she lowered her hands and blinked her eyes open.A thin sliver of daylight bled through the edges of heavy blackout curtains, casting a narrow beam across the floor. Hazel squinted, rubbing the sleep from her gritty

Hazel gripped the edge of her bathroom sink, holding a damp makeup sponge in her trembling hand.It had been exactly seven days. One full week of hiding inside her apartment, jumping every time her phone buzzed, and entirely ignoring the outside world. She had emailed HR on Monday morning, claiming a sudden family emergency and taking seven days of sick leave.She tilted her chin up, staring at the reflection of her neck. The brutal, dark bruises had finally faded into a dull, yellowish-purple shadow, but the distinct shape of Xavier’s bite mark still sat stubbornly right over her pulse. She dabbed a heavy layer of thick concealer over the skin, blending it carefully until the bruise vanished under the makeup.Liam hadn't called her once. The five years they had spent together had completely evaporated into thin air.But it was the absolute silence from Sterling Enterprises that was making her physically sick. She had spent the entire week waiting for the inevitable termination email.