Chapter 14 Lucian #2
“I don’t care what I’m supposed to say.” The shirt fell away, and I covered her again with my mouth, needing her response more than air.
She gave it freely.
The boldness that had carried her through the meeting carried her here too, and when I laid her back across the bed, she went with me without hesitation.
Her hair spread across the white sheets, her lips parted, her body arching toward me as if she’d been waiting for this moment all day.
My hand moved over her stomach, and a mental picture flashed through my mind—her skin rounded, her body full with my child.
It was so arousing to me that I had to close my eyes for a moment, steadying myself.
I had no right to imagine it, but the need to claim her that completely, to leave nothing of her untouched, burned hotter than anything I’d ever known.
I lowered myself over her, meeting her gaze. “You’re mine tonight.”
“Yes,” she breathed, no hesitation at all.
I kissed her deeply, letting the sound of it drown out every rational thought.
My hands roamed lower, sliding over the lace until I felt the edge of her thigh-highs and the heat of her skin beneath.
She shifted under me, restless, opening herself as though to invite more, and I obliged with a hunger that startled even me.
I broke from her mouth only long enough to trail down the line of her throat, tasting her pulse, then lower to the swell of her breasts, my teeth grazing lightly over the lace before I pushed it aside. She gasped, arching up into me, fingers burying in my hair.
“Lucian,” she whispered, the sound frayed with need.
I answered with my hands, stripping away the lace until nothing separated us.
The sight of her bare on my bed unraveled me.
She reached for me in turn, sliding her palms down my chest, lower still, to the line of my belt.
Her boldness made my control snap thread by thread. I caught her wrists, pinning them to the mattress.
“Not yet,” I said, my mouth hovering just above hers. “I’m going to take my time with you.”
Her eyes darkened, her lips parting in surrender.
I released her slowly, then dragged my hand down between us, finding her already wet, already ready for me.
She let out a soft cry when my fingers slipped inside her, her hips rocking up to meet the rhythm I set.
She clutched at me, murmuring broken pleas I barely heard over the rush in my ears. I bent to claim her mouth again, swallowing each sound, giving her no chance to think, only to feel.
The thought returned with merciless clarity—that I wanted her filled with me, carrying proof of what we were doing now.
It drove me to push her harder, faster, until she came undone against my hand, trembling beneath me, her cries muffled into my kiss.
Her whole body shuddered in waves, her muscles clenching around my fingers as if she couldn’t contain it. Heat spread through her, rising until she arched off the bed, her thighs trembling around my wrist.
She gasped into my mouth, her voice breaking, every breath sharp and uneven as the release tore through her.
I kept my pace steady, drawing it out, savoring the way she quaked beneath me until she finally collapsed back into the sheets, flushed and shaking, her chest rising and falling in frantic rhythm.
I pulled my hand free and braced above her, the sight of her undone searing into me. I wanted more—needed more.
My trousers were already open, my body aching for release, but what I craved most was her acceptance of the rawest truth.
“I want you bare,” I said hoarsely, pressing my forehead to hers. “No condom. I want to feel all of you. I want to leave myself in you.”
Her eyes widened, flickering with hesitation. Her hand cupped my face as she whispered, “Lucian… we can’t.”
The ache sharpened into desperation. “Please,” I rasped, my voice thick with need. “I want to feel you around me when I fill you."
Her gaze softened, torn between refusal and surrender. Then she took my hand and pressed my finger against the tight ring of her back hole, guiding me there with unmistakable intent. Her voice trembled as she whispered, “I can't do it the way you’re asking. If you want me bare, then take me here."
Tessa rolled to her hands and knees, lifting herself in invitation. Then she reached back, taking my slick fingers and pressing them to her backside, making sure I understood what she was giving me.
Possessiveness gripped me, and I shoved my trousers the rest of the way down, freeing myself. Then I spread her, coating myself with her wetness so I wouldn’t hurt her, preparing her body for me.
My breath came ragged as I positioned myself, imagining her yielding to me, imagining her full with my child even as I claimed her this way.
I pushed into her slowly, the tight resistance making her cry out and clutch the sheets. I steadied her hips, easing deeper until she took me fully.
The sensation nearly broke me apart—her heat, her surrender, the thought that I was marking her where no one else ever had. Each thrust fed the vision in my head—Tessa beneath me, swollen with life that belonged to us both.
The fantasy blurred with the reality of her body tightening around me, and I drove harder, chasing the moment when possession and release would be the same.
She moaned into the pillow, her body straining to keep pace with mine, and I bent over her, whispering against her ear, “Mine. All mine.” I reached around to circle her with my fingers, rubbing her most sensitive spot in steady strokes as I drove into her.
Her cries grew louder, her body clenching around me, until the climax overtook her again—harder this time, shaking through every limb as she pressed back against me, desperate for more.
The spasms of her release dragged me with her. I groaned as I spilled deep inside, the force of it leaving me shaking, my chest pressed to her back, my seed pouring into her as she came apart beneath me, both of us undone together, the vision of her carrying me etched in permanence.
I pulled out when we both caught our breath and slipped away to wash myself. When I came back, Tessa curled against my side, her hair spread across my chest, and for the first time in years, I felt completely at peace.
"I've been thinking," she said as she splayed her palm on my chest.
"About what?"
"Business school. Getting my MBA." She tilted her head to look at me. "After today, after seeing what I'm capable of when given the chance, I think it might be time to make that investment in myself."
The idea should have pleased me—Tessa pursuing advanced education, expanding her opportunities. Instead, it felt like another step toward her eventual departure from my life.
"That's ambitious," I said. "Have you looked at programs?"
"A few. Northwestern has an excellent executive program that would let me keep working while taking classes. It's expensive, but the long-term career prospects make it worthwhile."
"I could cover the tuition," I offered before I could stop myself. "Consider it an investment in a valuable employee."
She shook her head immediately. "No. Thank you, but no. If I'm going to do this, I need to earn it myself. I need to know that whatever I accomplish afterward is because of my own effort, not because someone else paid my way."
The independence in her voice was both admirable and frustrating. I wanted to give her everything—education, opportunities, a future without financial stress—but she was determined to build her own path.
My phone buzzed on the nightstand, interrupting my thoughts. I reached for it, expecting to see a message from Daniel about tomorrow's meetings.
Instead, Elena's name appeared on the screen as a voicemail message transcript popped up in my notification panel.
Dad, can we meet for coffee when you get back to Chicago? I want to talk about some family issues. Let me know when you're free.
The message made my stomach tighten with apprehension. Elena rarely initiated contact, and when she did, it usually meant trouble.
"What's wrong?" Tessa asked, noticing my expression.
I handed her the phone so she could read the message. "Elena only reaches out when she needs something or when she's heard gossip that concerns her. Since I haven't heard from her in months, I'm guessing it's the latter."
Tessa read the message twice before handing the phone back. "Family issues could mean anything."
"Well, after that nonsense with Blake, I’m sure it's not nothing." I set the phone aside, but the peaceful mood of the evening had already been broken. "The timing feels off."
"Maybe she genuinely wants to reconnect."
I looked at Tessa, wishing I could share her optimism.
But I knew my daughter too well. Elena didn't do family bonding over coffee. She was just like her mother, and most likely, Viktoria or Blake put her up to this.
It was like the universe itself was telling me I didn’t belong here in this bed with Tessa Wynn and that I needed to prepare myself for the moment she recognized it too and went her own separate way.
That was going to be miserable.