Chapter 10 I’ve Heard Some News
“Since when have you been watching me?” she demanded, embarrassment creeping into her voice.
“Since you got out of bed.”
Stella's eyes widened.
He had been watching her the entire time she was getting dressed?
Heat rushed to her face. She quickly looked away, tugging at the hem of her dress in an attempt to regain her composure.
Lucius noticed her embarrassment, and his smile widened. He shrugged casually against the pillows.
“Last night, we did much more than touch and kiss each other. Have you forgotten about that?”
“Lucius!”
“What?” He raised an eyebrow, clearly enjoying her reaction. “What's wrong with watching you? It's not like it's my first time.”
Stella's cheeks grew even warmer.
Her embarrassment quickly turned into irritation. He was being so damn smug about everything, acting as though he had every right to tease her when she was already struggling to process what had happened between them.
Before she could say another word, Lucius patted the empty space beside him.
“Come back to bed.”
“No.”
“Aren't you tired?” he asked, stretching lazily beneath the sheets. “Come on. Let's do it again.”
He pulled the covers down just enough to reveal more of his bare chest, deliberately tempting her with the body she had always found impossible to resist.
For one treacherous second, Stella nearly gave in.
Lucius caught the hesitation in her eyes, and his smile turned even more satisfied.
She immediately looked away.
“Stop it,” she muttered, turning her back to him.
Lucius chuckled under his breath but didn't press her further.
Instead, he let his gaze wander around the room.
Photographs of Stella were everywhere. Framed pictures stood on her dresser, more decorated the walls, and several smaller photographs occupied the bedside table. Even the scent of the room seemed to belong entirely to her.
He inhaled quietly, his eyes lingering on the photographs.
This was Stella's space.
Her bed. Her belongings. Her photographs.
And there wasn't a single sign of Shane anywhere.
The realization brought a quiet satisfaction to his face.
‘She lives here. She sleeps here. And Shane isn't a part of this room.’
For some reason, that thought made him happier than he cared to admit.
Stella turned around and found him still looking around the room.
“You should leave now,” she said.
Lucius shifted his gaze back to her, the corner of his mouth lifting.
“Are you kicking me out already?”
Before she could finish speaking, another voice came from outside the door.
“Stella, are you awake yet? Breakfast is on the table,” Darla called, knocking on the door. “Should I bring your breakfast in here? I’ve already set up your plate.”
Before Stella could answer, Darla knocked again.
“I’m coming in.”
Stella's eyes widened in alarm.
“No, wait!”
She hurried toward the door and pressed her hand against it, keeping it shut.
“I’m coming out in a minute,” she called, trying to keep her voice steady. “I’ll join you at the table in a minute. Please wait.”
There was a brief pause.
“All right. I’ll wait for you,” Darla replied before walking back toward the living room.
Stella remained by the door for another moment, her palm pressed against the wood. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart, and then turned around.
Lucius was still lying on her bed, his hands folded behind his head, one leg bent casually at the knee. He looked way too comfortable.
Stella marched back toward him, planted her hands on her waist, and glared down at him.
“Are you going to get up? You need to leave. I told you last night to leave early in the morning.”
Lucius shifted his gaze toward her, completely unbothered by her irritation.
“Darling, we slept until morning. Did you really expect me to wake up at dawn?”
His deep voice carried a hint of amusement, and the lazy confidence in his expression only made her more frustrated.
Stella's face flushed.
He hadn't forgotten.
She had foolishly hoped that he wouldn't remember what had happened between them, but judging by his smug expression, he remembered every damn detail.
“You need to leave,” she repeated, her tone growing firmer.
Lucius made no attempt to move. Instead, he stretched his arms behind his head, watching her with the composure of a man who had never once been rushed into doing anything in his life.
Stella stared at him in disbelief.
“Lucius.”
He arched an eyebrow.
“What?”
“Get up.”
“Are you always this impatient in the morning?”
“I'm going to count to three.”
A quiet chuckle escaped him.
“Then I suppose I should take advantage of the remaining time.”
Stella rolled her eyes and reached down to grab his arm.
“Please, get up.”
She tugged at him, but the man barely moved.
“Lucius, I'm serious.”
“All right, darling. There's no need to drag me out of your bed.”
He finally sat up and swung his legs over the edge of the mattress. He dressed without the slightest hint of urgency, buttoning his shirt and adjusting his clothes at an infuriatingly leisurely pace.
Stella stood beside him, watching impatiently.
Once he had slipped into his trousers and shirt, he reached for his coat and draped it over his arm.
That was enough for her.
“Come on. Hurry up.”
She caught hold of his arm and began pulling him toward the door.
Lucius glanced down at her hand around his forearm, then at her face.
“Are you planning to escort me out yourself?”
“Yes, since you clearly can't manage it on your own.”
The corner of his mouth lifted.
“Such hospitality.”
Stella shot him an exasperated look and opened the bedroom door, carefully peering into the living room before ushering him outside.
“Come on,” she whispered. “Hurry up.”
Lucius took one step at a time, his movements unhurried and almost deliberate, as though he wanted to make sure he was noticed.
Stella's frustration mounted.
She grabbed his arm again and tugged him forward.
“What are you doing?” she whispered. “Come on.”
Lucius merely looked down at her with a composed, almost amused expression. There was something maddeningly confident about the way he carried himself, as though the entire apartment belonged to him and he had no reason to sneak out of it.
He took another leisurely step.
Stella glared at him.
It was almost as if he wanted Shane to catch him.
Then she saw Shane standing in the living room.
He was facing the window, looking outside as he spoke to someone on the phone. Thankfully, his back was toward them. Darla was also busy setting up the table, completely unaware of what was happening behind her.
She had a chance to get Lucius out before either of them noticed. She just needed him to cooperate. But the damn man wasn't making any attempt to move.
She tightened her grip around his arm and tugged him again.
“Lucius.”
He finally glanced at her, his expression calm and completely unapologetic.
Then, with deliberate ease, he took another slow step forward, as though he had all the time in the world.
Stella nearly lost her patience.
“Come on,” she whispered again, trying to pull him toward the exit as quickly as she could.
But Lucius simply walked at his own pace, perfectly composed, while Stella silently begged him to stop making this more difficult than it already was.
Stella grabbed him by the arm and pushed him toward the door.
“Go. Leave. Hurry up,” she whispered, giving him another shove.
She tried to turn away and head toward the living room, but Lucius caught her by the wrist and pulled her back against him.
“Lucius—”
Before she could finish, he leaned down and stole a kiss from her mouth.
Stella struggled against him, pushing at his chest, but Lucius didn't seem the least bit concerned. He held her close, his mouth lingering against hers as though he had all the time in the world.
Meanwhile, Stella was convinced she was about to lose her mind.
Her eyes darted anxiously toward the living room, her entire body tense with panic.
“Lucius, you have to go,” she whispered urgently against his mouth.
He finally pulled back, but before she could say anything else, Stella seized the opportunity and pushed him through the doorway.
“Now leave!”
She gave him one final shove and immediately turned around.
Then she saw Darla beginning to turn toward her.
Panic shot through her.
Stella hurried toward her, reaching out and grabbing her by the shoulders before she could look toward the door.
“What are you doing?” Stella asked hurriedly. “What have you cooked today?”
She turned Darla toward the dining table, positioning herself so that her back was to the entrance.
Darla began telling her about the breakfast she had prepared, completely unaware of Stella's nervousness.
Stella nodded along, pretending to listen, but her attention remained fixed on the door behind her.
A moment later, she risked a glance over her shoulder.
Lucius hadn't left.
The man was standing beside the shelves near the entrance, casually browsing the photographs displayed there as though he were a guest with nowhere else to be.
Stella's eyes widened.
‘What the hell is he doing now?’
He picked up a photograph of her from her college days and examined it with a faint smile. Then his gaze shifted to another photograph.
One of her and Shane.
The smile disappeared.
Lucius's expression changed almost instantly. The warmth in his eyes gave way to unmistakable irritation. His jaw tightened as he studied the photograph, his fingers curling slightly around its edges.
Jealousy darkened his features.
Then, as though sensing her stare, he lifted his head.
His eyes met hers from across the room.
Stella glared at him, her impatience and frustration evident in her expression.
‘Leave! Just leave already!’
Lucius took one look at her furious face and smiled.
A slow, infuriating smile.
Stella's eyes widened in disbelief.
The goddamn man was enjoying this.
Instead of putting the photograph down and walking out, Lucius lifted the picture of her from college and pressed a kiss against her image.
Stella's jaw dropped.
‘Is he out of his mind?!’