For more? For mercy? For him to want me like I wanted him? All of it? None of it?
In that moment, I had no idea.
My body hummed, the euphoria like electric fire burning a path to my core on its way to detonate. His thrusts lost their rhythm as his hand finally released my nipple before sinking between my legs to rub my clit with tight, purposeful strokes.
“Come for me, princess.” The breath from his command stroked along the shell of my ear, sinking inside me and taking control until I had no choice but to do as he ordered.
His hand released the pressure around my neck and sucked in a deep breath, the oxygen colliding with the flames of pleasure, detonating my orgasm until it consumed me. Deep groans vibrated against my back as he came along with me, emptying himself inside me, until we both finished, gasping for air. My pussy spasmed with aftershocks around his cock, still deep in my core, as if he wasn’t ready to leave.
I dropped my chin to my chest, rasping breaths echoing around me. His arms cradled my body, the only thing keeping me upright as my limbs turned to jelly. I clung to the press of his strength against me, savoring it—memorizing every second, drawing it close to steady the walls collapsing around my bruised heart.
And then he broke the silence.
Pierced it.
Pierced the fragile moment we’d carved out for ourselves.
“Will your new company give you the orgasms you need?”
My features crumpled, fire burning up the back of my throat into my eyes, but I squeezed them shut. I wouldnotlet him see me cry.
I wrapped my arms around his, absorbing every sensation of him holding me, committing it to memory—because I knew this was it.
Drawing in a steady breath, I braced myself and brought the axe down, severing the connection between us. “No,” I said quietly. “But it also won’t make it so hard to breathe that it hurts.”
I pried myself from his arms and straightened my clothes as quickly as I could.
“Aspen, I never followed through with the scene,” he confessed as I headed for the door, his tone low—desperate to be heard and tinged with hope that it might still matter.
But it didn’t.
“It’s too late. And it’s not enough,” I said, forcing steel into my voice I didn’t feel and refusing to look back. I couldn’t. If I did, I knew it wouldn’t matter if I thought it was enough or not—I wouldn’t make it out.
His footsteps followed—then stopped, cut short by the sharp ring of his phone.
“Shit,” he muttered just as I reached the door. “Grace…”
I didn’t wait to hear the rest. Our arrangement was over. Lucian wasn’t my problem anymore, and whatever hope I’d been clinging to was gone.
I should have felt relief.
Instead, all I felt was the clawing urge to turn around and go back.
I didn’t.
CHAPTER 21
LUCIAN
“Ibrought you a coffee.”
I jerked in the uncomfortable hospital chair, Grace’s voice jarring me from the edge of sleep that the quiet beeps and hums of the equipment hooked up to Felix had lulled me into.
“Thank you.”
“Well, we can’t all look as amazing as you all the time,” I said, laughing softly.
She preened before sighing softly, really looking me over.
