Page 13 of King of Rage

Stella immediately tried to push him away, but instead of releasing her, he held her more firmly. His mouth moved against hers again and again, refusing to let her pull away. One of his hands remained around her waist while the other moved along her back, keeping her close as he kissed her repeatedly.

His kiss was insistent, leaving her with no control over what she wanted or what he was giving her. She found herself completely beneath his control as his mouth continued moving over hers, the kiss shifting between tenderness and rough intensity.

He didn’t let her break away.

Even when he finally lifted his mouth from hers, he wasn’t truly satisfied. He remained close, pressing small kisses around her lips one after another, as though he simply couldn’t bring himself to let them go.

Finally, he stopped.

Stella stared at him, anger burning in her eyes. She struggled to keep her voice steady, but the bitterness in her words gave her away.

“What surprises me is that after all these years apart, you still haven’t gotten any better at kissing, Mr. Frost. Didn’t you have enough women to practice on?”

Lucius’s expression shifted. He lowered his gaze to her lips for a fleeting moment before meeting her eyes again.

“Miss Gibson, how many men have you practiced with?” His voice was low, edged with quiet menace. “You climbed into my bed last night so easily that you didn’t even bother to find out whether it was your ex-boyfriend you were sleeping with or someone else.”

His words struck harder than she expected.

Her eyes flashed with anger. She pushed against his chest. This time, Lucius let her go, his arms falling back to his sides.

Stella took a breath, her face still flushed with anger.

“Sleeping with me isn’t such a terrible thing, is it?” she snapped, her eyes flashing with anger. “If you’re so damn hurt by what happened, don’t worry. I’ll let you sleep with me once, and then we’ll call it even.”

Lucius’s face darkened instantly.

The way she spoke to him, as though what had happened between them meant nothing, only fueled his anger.

But before he could say a word, Stella shoved past him and stormed out of the room.

***

A Mercedes waited outside Bristen hospital, parked in the shadows far enough from the main entrance to remain unnoticed, yet close enough to give a clear view of the building.

The hospital was crowded, people constantly moving through the entrance, but there was something about the place that made it obvious it catered to those who could afford expensive treatment.

Inside the Mercedes, Lucius sat in the back seat, one hand resting near the open window as he held a cigarette between his fingers. His dark eyes remained fixed on the hospital entrance.

He was dressed in an office suit, his dark hair pushed back from his forehead, though a few strands had fallen forward over his eyes. His expression remained calm and collected, but the tension in his jaw and the hard set of his gaze betrayed the storm building inside him.

In the driver's seat, Nial, his secretary, finally broke the silence.

“Mr. Frost, this is where Miss Gibson drops off Mr. Shane Garcia. He’s a surgeon at this hospital and has been working here on and off for the past few months. It appears he’s now staying here for a longer period with Miss Gibson. There’s no record indicating exactly how long he’ll be working at this hospital.”

Lucius said nothing.

His cigarette remained between his fingers as his eyes stayed fixed on the hospital entrance.

Just as Nial finished speaking, a black car drove past them and pulled up near the hospital entrance.

Lucius’s gaze sharpened.

Stella stepped out of the driver’s seat, while Shane emerged from the passenger side. He straightened his shirt as he closed the door, his dark hair neatly combed and thin-framed glasses sitting comfortably on his nose. There was nothing flashy about him, but his handsome face and calm, well-groomed appearance gave him an easy charm. When he smiled at Stella, his eyes brightened with genuine warmth.

Lucius’s fingers tightened around the cigarette between them, the paper crumpling slightly beneath his grip. His expression hardened as he watched Shane approach Stella.

Shane stopped in front of her and pulled her into a warm hug.