All Chapters of Burning Desires (An Open Marriage With The Billionaire): Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

SOPHIA LANCASTER The aftershocks of my last orgasm still hummed through my veins, my body limp against the cold marble of Ethan's bar. His fingers traced lazy circles over my bare thigh, his breath warm against my neck as he murmured, "Still think you're done with him?" The smirk in his voice was infuriating like he already knew the answer.I turned my head just enough to meet his gaze, my lips curling. "I'm yours," I repeated, slower this time, letting the word hang between us like a challenge. His dark eyes flickered with something possessive, something hungry, and before I could take another breath, his mouth crashed onto mine. He kissed me like he was staking a claim, his tongue sweeping past my lips, tasting me like I was something rare and precious. I moaned into him, my fingers tangling in his hair, pulling just hard enough to make him growl.He broke the kiss abruptly, his hands gripping my waist as he lifted me off the bar like I weighed nothing. "Bedroom. Now," he ordered,

DANIEL HAWTHORNEThe air in the boardroom was thick enough to choke a man. It wasn't just the lack of circulation in a room filled with thirteen people, it was the smell of collective panic. I stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows, my back to them. I was staring out at the city, but I wasn't seeing the skyline. I was seeing my own reflection in the glass pale, sharp, but still draped in a three-thousand-dollar suit that told the world I was the man in charge. I adjusted my cuffs, I needed that sound. I needed the reminder of what I had earned.Twelve of them, the full board. They sat around the table like a jury of monks, Every few seconds, another fraction of a point vanished. Another hundred million dollars of market cap evaporated into the digital ether."Daniel."Richard Sterling's voice came through, I didn't flinch. I turned slowly, "Twenty-eight percent, Daniel," Sterling said, leaning forward. His hands were clasped on the table, his knuckles white. "We didn't just open in th

DANIEL HAWTHORNEThe ride from the St. Regis to the Upper East Side was a blur of crushing anxiety. I sat in the back of the car, my leg bouncing, the adrenaline that had surged through my veins when I read Elena's text was beginning to mix with a toxic dose of skepticism.How could she possibly fix this?Julian Thorne had publicly severed ties, the board was already drafting my corporate obituary, and the stock was a crater. There was no PR spin in the world powerful enough to undo the mathematical reality of a collapsing empire. But I was a desperate man, and desperate men clung to any rope thrown into the dark, even if it was tied to a guillotine."Pull over here," I barked at the driver before the car had even fully stopped in front of Elena’s place.I shoved the door open and hit the pavement as I walked. I bypassed the doorman and stepped into the private elevator. As the gold doors slid shut, I looked at my reflection in the polished metal. My tie was missing, my collar was ope

SOPHIA LANCASTERI pushed the doors of my bedroom open and slammed them shut behind me. The heavy thud vibrated through the walls, but it did nothing to settle the chaotic storm brewing in my chest. I stood in the center of the massive room, my hands balled into tight fists at my sides, my chest heaving as I tried to draw in a clean breath.Daniel's audacity was annoying. Our legacy? The words replayed in my mind grating against every nerve I possessed. After years of erasure, after stripping my name from the architecture, after the post-nup and the blatant disrespect of his mistresses, he had the absolute, staggering nerve to crawl into my kitchen and play the victim. He wanted my power, he wanted the very shares he had sworn I didn't deserve.I paced about, practically vibrating with a hot, toxic energy. On the nightstand, my phone began to buzz. I stopped pacing, glaring at the glowing screen, the caller ID flashed a single name.Julian.I closed my eyes for a fraction of a second,

SOPHIA LANCASTERI returned to the house after my moment with Julian, I wasn’t sure of what I was doing with both men but I do know I was going to do anything to save Lancaster Innovation. I stepped into the foyer and noticed that Daniel wasn’t at home, perhaps my words had really hurt him and made him stay away from the house. Not that I cared. My phone vibrated and I glanced at the screen. It was Ethan. I picked it up and swiped to answer. "Ethan.""I just got back into the city," Ethan's deep, "My jet touched down ten minutes ago, tell me you're not at the office trying to put out Daniel's fires.""I'm at the penthouse," I said. "I need to see you."There was a microsecond of silence on his end," Is he there? Did he do something?""No, he's not here," I reassured him quickly. "But a lot happened yesterday. I have a plan, Ethan, but I need to talk to you about it.""I'll be at home in twenty minutes. Don't go anywhere else, Sophia.""I'm on my way."**The moment I stepped into E