All Chapters of Forbidden Never Felt This Good: Chapter 51 - Chapter 60

0052~Aria~It didn’t feel like it was a mistake. It was like he intentionally said it. As soon as he did, I felt giddy in my heart.He wants me? Is this not what I have been hoping for? It took shape in the quiet space between us, undeniable, like something that had been waiting a long time to finally be said out loud.Luca didn’t pull away.His hands were still framing my face from the last kiss, warm and steady, his thumbs resting lightly along my jawline. He was anchoring me there, ensuring I couldn't step back even if I wanted to.He knew what he was doing.The room had gone completely still. It was a heavy, loaded silence, full of everything we had been dancing around for a while.Be his.It should have been simple. In some ways, it was, because I knew what I felt. I’d known for a long time long before the gym mat, long before I’d had the courage to admit it to myself.I had just been circling the edges, wrapping it in softer, safer names.Trying to make it simple, but the probl

0054 ~Joan~ The coffee had gone cold, but I didn’t care.I was parked on Rue Descartes with an unobstructed view of the Santoro building entrance, and that was all that mattered.I came all the way here to track down Luca. It had taken time to lock down this spot, four days of careful trial and error.The first location suffered from too much foot traffic, leaving me far too exposed.The second was plagued by a delivery bay that blocked half the shot at the worst possible moments.The third would have been manageable, except for a high-definition security camera sweeping an arc just wide enough to make me uncomfortable.This fourth spot was perfect.Close enough to see every detail. Quiet enough to blend into the shadows. No one questioned a solitary woman sitting in a car with dark sunglasses, not in this corner of the city.My phone buzzed against the leather seat.Where are you?Céline. My only remaining friend who still answered when I called mostly because she didn’t know enoug

0056 ~Aria~“Hi, beautiful CEO. This is Pierre.”I looked at the message again before replying.“Hi, Pierre.”His response came almost immediately I responded to him.“There she is. I was beginning to think the CEO had gone to bed without acknowledging her new contact.”“It’s nine o’clock, Mr. CEO.”“I was waiting for your response.”And that was how it started. We talked for two hours while still texting. Not about business. Not once. No mention of the vineyard, the contracts, or anything from that conference room.I liked that, a little too much.He asked how long I had been back in France. I told him a few weeks ago. He asked how the adjustment had been, and I told him honestly that it had been more than I expected and less terrible than I feared, without giving much details though.“That is the most precise non-answer I’ve ever heard.”“You’re very specific about being vague.”“It’s a skill,” I replied. “What about you? Do you run the company alone?”“With Landon and a full team

0058~Luca~Marco was cleaning the car when I found him in the garage.He looked up when I came in. He knew I was going to talk. He just waited. Marco was my best buddy. I had spoken to him about Pierre and he knew I had interest in Aria."I don't like him," I said."I know.""Always smiling." I leaned against the wall. "He smiles too much. Everything she says, he's smiling. Like she's the most fascinating thing he's encountered in years."Marco said nothing."And the way he looked at her in that conference room. Like he wanted to make her his.""Luca.""What?"Marco straightened and looked at me properly. "You just described a man who is interested in a woman. That’s all. I know what you’re talking about." He moved around the car, wiping his hands. "You’re talking about the fact that a perfectly legitimate, perfectly decent man walked into her life and found her interesting, and you don’t know what to do with that. You just feel insecure.”"I know exactly what to do with it.""You're

0060 ~Aria~ I didn’t push Luca to tell me what was really behind his suspicion or who he thought was pulling the strings. Sometimes the old adage holds true: the less you know, the better. You sleep a little easier, or at least you pretend to.Before we could even head down to work, Luca steered me toward the kitchen island.“You’re not going into a morning full of meetings on an empty stomach,” he said, his voice carrying that low, immovable authority that left zero room for argument.He picked up a plate from the counter, where two freshly made turkey and avocado sandwiches sat neatly cut, alongside a warm cup of coffee. “Eat. Both halves.”I looked at the plate, then up at his impassive face. “Luca, I have to review the quarterly projections before nine.”“And you’ll review them with food in your system,” he replied smoothly, pouring himself an espresso and leaning against the counter, his eyes tracking my every movement. “Consider it a security requirement. Exhaustion makes peop