Page 92 of King of Rage

She slipped an arm around Lucius to steady him, and together they headed toward the exit.

As they walked out of the private dining room, Stella continued to support him while Lucius kept his arm securely around her shoulders. Although Stella was much shorter than him, she didn't feel as much of his weight against her as she had expected. He was making an effort to walk beside her rather than simply leaning his entire weight on her, making it much easier for her to support him.

She guided him through the restaurant toward the car, his arm remaining comfortably around her shoulders the entire way.

They were passing through a dim corridor when Lucius suddenly stopped.

Before Stella could ask what was wrong, he turned and pulled her against him.

She looked up at him in surprise.

Lucius's back came to rest against the wall, but his attention remained fixed on her. He stared down at her for a moment, his gaze moving over her face with an intensity that made her heart flutter.

“You look so beautiful,” he whispered.

Chapter 15 I Don’t Want to Lose You Again

Stella's expression softened with concern. “Are you not drunk? Do you feel dizzy?”

The concern in her eyes immediately softened Lucius's expression.

He simply looked at her for a moment.

He had spent an entire year without her, a year that had felt longer than ten years to him. Now she was standing in front of him, worrying about him, her eyes filled with genuine concern.

The simple tenderness of it made him happier than he could put into words.

A warm smile touched his lips.

“I’m fine, darling.” He pointed to his mouth. “Can you give me a kiss?”

Stella's lips parted slightly.

Her gaze dropped to his mouth. She hesitated for a moment, then rose onto her tiptoes and leaned toward him.

She kissed him softly on the mouth.

It lasted only a moment before she pulled back.

Lucius looked at her, the softness in his eyes never disappearing.

“That’s not enough,” he complained.

Stella smiled and tilted her head to the side, a few strands of hair sliding over her shoulder.

“You’re not really drunk, are you?”

Lucius looked down at her, one eyebrow lifting.

“What do you think?”

She grinned.

He was drunk, but he wasn't so drunk that he didn't know what he was doing.

Seeing him like this made something inside Stella soften even more. There was something almost adorable about the way he behaved when he drank, especially when all that affection was directed at her. His usual serious expression had softened, and the warmth in his eyes made it clear just how much he loved her.

The sight made her heart ache.