All Chapters of Lust & Love: Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

The bright, piercing light of the morning sun hit Hazel directly in the eyes.She groaned, squeezing her eyelids shut as she slowly shifted on the mattress. Her entire body felt incredibly heavy, a deep, persistent soreness radiating through her thighs and lower back. The old bedsprings creaked quietly beneath her weight.She reached her arm out across the mattress, expecting to feel the solid, blistering heat of a massive chest.Her hand hit nothing but cold, empty sheets.Hazel’s eyes snapped open. She sat up violently, her heart giving a frantic jolt against her ribs. She looked around the small bedroom. The storm had passed, leaving the morning clear and bright. But the room was empty. Xavier’s wet clothes from last night were gone. His heavy leather boots were gone.He had left the bed.The memories of last night came crashing back into her brain. The rough, punishing intimacy. The way he had claimed her in the dark. And the shocking fact that the ruthless CEO had actually fallen

The drive back to Manhattan was agonizingly long.Hazel sat in the passenger seat of the massive, matte-black G-Wagon, staring blankly out the reinforced glass window. The heavy autumn rain from the previous night had completely cleared, leaving the highway dry and bathed in harsh afternoon sunlight. The interior of the SUV was silent, save for the low, aggressive hum of the V8 engine eating up the miles.She was absolutely furious.Every time she thought about how smoothly Xavier had manipulated her mother, her blood boiled. He had driven three hours into the countryside, broken into her childhood bedroom, had entirely rough, punishing sex with her in the dark, and then seamlessly charmed her sick mother over a plate of bacon. He had completely dismantled her escape plan without breaking a sweat, leaving her with absolutely no choice but to pack her canvas duffel bag and get into his car.Hazel shifted in the leather seat, crossing her arms tightly over her chest. The thick cream-col

Hazel stared up at him, her heart hammering a frantic, terrified rhythm against her ribs. "You can't just change the terms whenever you feel like it! I need my own space! I need a place to go where you aren't breathing down my neck!""You ran away from me," Xavier countered, his voice dripping with dark, possessive anger. He lowered his head, his face hovering mere inches from hers. The scent of his cologne was entirely suffocating. "You packed a bag, you walked out of my house, and you left the city without my permission. I lost sight of you for forty-eight hours. That is never, ever happening again.""I am not a prisoner!" Hazel hissed, pushing her hands hard against his solid chest. It was like pushing against a brick wall. He didn't budge a single inch."You are mine," Xavier stated. It wasn't a threat. It was a completely absolute, undeniable fact in his mind. "You will sleep in my bed. You will wake up in my bed. You will dress in my closet. I am going to know exactly where you

Hazel stared up at him, her eyes wide with absolute disbelief. "How did you know? I never told you.""I know everything about you," Xavier said smoothly.He reached into the inner pocket of his tuxedo jacket and pulled out a small velvet box. Resting on a bed of black satin was a dainty, incredibly exquisite silver chain, holding a single, flawless, teardrop-cut ruby pendant."Turn around," he commanded softly.Hazel obeyed, entirely under his spell. She felt the heavy warmth of his large fingers brushing against her nape as he fastened the delicate clasp. The cool weight of the ruby settled perfectly against the hollow of her collarbone. He leaned down, pressing a warm, open-mouthed kiss against the curve of her neck.They sat at the candlelit table, completely isolated under the starry sky. They drank incredibly expensive vintage wine. Xavier didn't talk about Vanguard Holdings or contracts. He sat in the flickering light, giving her his absolute, undivided attention, looking at her

Xavier was sitting in the center of the dark leather sofa like a terrifying king. He was completely shirtless, wearing only a pair of dark gray sweatpants that hung dangerously low on his waist. His broad chest was heaving. His elbows were resting on his spread knees, and his icy blue eyes were locked onto her with a cold, lethal fury that completely froze the blood in her veins."Where were you?" Xavier asked. His voice was a dark, gravelly whisper that echoed violently in the quiet room.Hazel nervously gripped the edges of her winter coat. "I just... I went to get some fresh air. I went to meet a friend."Xavier stood up. The sheer, massive size of him completely dominated the living room. "What friend?"Hazel’s jaw tightened. She didn't like the way he was interrogating her. "Just a friend. It's none of your business, Xavier.""Everything you do is my business," Xavier growled, taking a slow, heavy step toward her. The possessive, territorial rage radiating off him was suffocating