Chapter 14 You Look So Beautiful #2
His lips moved over hers again, slower for a moment, before he caught her lower lip between his teeth in a gentle bite and pulled it back.
The small gesture sent a shiver through her.
He released her only to drag his tongue over the place he'd bitten, soothing the tenderness before kissing her again.
One hand remained against her cheek while the other slipped around her waist, pulling her tightly against him. His body was warm against hers, his breathing uneven, his mouth moving over hers with all the emotion he had spent the past year trying to bury.
Stella made a startled sound against his lips, her hands instinctively pressing against his chest. But when Lucius tightened his arms around her and drew her closer, she stopped resisting.
Her fingers curled into his shirt.
And she kissed him back.
The moment she did, something in him seemed to break. His kiss grew deeper, more intimate, his lips lingering over hers before he kissed the corner of her mouth, then returned to her lips as though he couldn't bear to be even an inch away from her.
When he finally pulled back, their foreheads rested together.
Both of them were breathing hard.
Lucius looked into her eyes, his thumb brushing slowly across her cheek.
The anger that had consumed him moments ago was gone.
All that remained was relief, raw and overwhelming, and the fierce, aching love he had never managed to escape.
***
“You know what? My family also owns hotels and restaurants.” Amara grinned at Stella, her eyes bright with excitement. “We should definitely collaborate and do business together. I can’t wait.”
“That would be great.” Stella smiled just as brightly. “I’m already in the process of expanding, so definitely. With Hawk Industries, it could be on a much bigger scale.”
Her red curls fell across her face as she smiled, her excitement obvious in her expression.
Around the table at Magnolia’s, the atmosphere was warm and lively despite the dim lighting. The elegant restaurant was one of the most exclusive places in the city, the kind of establishment people saved for special occasions.
The large round table was covered with an impressive spread of expensive dishes, including lobster, fresh fish, and perfectly prepared steaks. Amara, Juliet, Cassian, Elias, Triston, Lucius, and Stella were all seated around it, their conversation flowing easily as they enjoyed the evening.
Stella sat beside Lucius, while Amara sat across from them, her attention fixed on Triston.
“I still can’t get over how handsome you are,” Amara said with a bright smile.
The moment the words left her mouth, she suddenly flinched.
Her head snapped toward Elias.
He was already looking at her.
His expression remained composed, but the warning in his eyes was sharp. He leaned slightly toward her and murmured something under his breath.
Amara pressed her lips together, clearly irritated by whatever he had said, before turning back toward Triston.
“Stop being so controlling,” she muttered.
Elias simply raised an eyebrow and took another sip of his champagne, looking a bit offended.
Amara ignored him and returned her attention to Triston.
“I can’t believe you’re going to be in the magazine I love. It’s going to be amazing. I’ll definitely look forward to seeing you in it.”
“Thank you,” Triston replied with a smile. “It’s going to be a special edition. And I’ll also give you tickets to my fashion show next week. If you want, you can come with your friends.”
Amara’s face immediately lit up.
She turned toward Juliet, her eyes widening with excitement.
“Oh my God, that’s amazing!”
Juliet immediately nodded, equally delighted.
Stella smiled as she watched them, but her attention soon shifted when she felt Lucius lean against her.
His head dropped into the curve of her neck.
Stella glanced down at him before looking toward the table. He had already finished nearly three glasses of champagne, and the alcohol had clearly begun to affect him. His usual controlled demeanor had softened, and a faint flush had spread across his face.
Juliet noticed him and laughed.
“He gets drunk so easily. It’s like he has the drinking ability of a child.”
Cassian chuckled and reached over, pulling Juliet’s chair closer to him until she was sitting directly beside him.
“You need to stop getting him drunk for fun,” he told her, shaking his head. “It’s like you’re constantly testing how much he can drink before he finally gets drunk.”
Juliet giggled, clearly amused by his complaint.
“Come on, it’s fun. And it’s not like I always do this.”
“You always do this,” Cassian pointed out, giving her a knowing look.
“Well, sometimes,” she corrected with a grin. “And Stella is here this time. I wanted to get things out of him that he usually doesn’t say.”
Cassian shook his head, though the amusement in his eyes remained. He reached up, gently caught her face in his hand, and leaned over to press a brief kiss against her cheek.
“Stop playing so many tricks on him,” he murmured. “He’s going to get angry with you.”
Juliet rolled her eyes, but the smile on her face only grew.
“Do you mind if I don’t follow your orders, Mr. Han?”
Cassian gave her a long, unimpressed look before shaking his head, a faint smile tugging at his mouth. He was clearly incapable of denying his wife anything at all.
Stella watched them with a smile.
It was obvious that every man around the table loved the woman he had married. Their affection for their wives was effortless. It was as though the women they loved were always at the center of their thoughts.
The sight warmed Stella.
Her own friends were much the same with the people they loved, and seeing the affection between these couples made it easier for her to relax around them.
She had expected to feel like an outsider among people who had known one another for so long, but their warmth made it surprisingly easy for her to fit in.
Then Lucius nuzzled his face deeper into the curve of her neck.
Stella turned toward him, her expression immediately softening. She reached up and rested her palm against his cheek, studying his face.
“Are you okay? Do you need something?”
She slipped an arm around him, trying to help him straighten, but then she felt his hand slide up her leg.
Her breath caught.
Her dress was short, and his hand easily slipped beneath the hem, moving higher along her thigh.
Stella’s eyes widened as she realized what he was doing. She immediately caught his wrist.
“Lucius…”
Instead of stopping, he smoothly slipped his hand free of her grasp and continued, his touch making her breath hitch. His hand moved higher, and a soft, involuntary whimper escaped her before she could stop it.
She went completely still, her cheeks burning.
Her heart began pounding as she glanced around the table. Everyone was absorbed in their own conversations, laughing and talking, completely unaware of what Lucius was doing beneath the table.
His rough palm moved over her skin, leaving her struggling to keep her composure.
She looked down at him again, almost disbelievingly.
Yet Lucius looked perfectly innocent.
His eyes were half-closed, his head resting against her, as though he were too drunk to know what he was doing. But the faint curve at the corner of his mouth betrayed him.
When his hand began moving higher again, Stella abruptly shot to her feet.
“I think Lucius is drunk,” she said quickly, smoothing down her dress with one hand. “I should take him home.”
Lucius finally lifted his head and looked up at her.
Then, as though he had suddenly run out of strength, he lowered his head again and rested it against her stomach, his eyes closing as he breathed slowly.
Seeing them, Cassian pushed his chair back and stood.
“I’ll help you to the car,” he offered.
He came around the table and helped Lucius get to his feet, pulling one of Lucius’s arms over his own shoulders. He slipped an arm around Lucius’s waist to steady him.
Lucius lifted his head and looked at him.
Their eyes met.
A silent understanding passed between them.
Then Cassian abruptly handed Lucius back to Stella, adjusting him until he was leaning against her instead.
“You can manage it on your own, right?”
Lucius closed his eyes again, a faint frown settling across his face as he concealed the smile threatening to appear.
Stella looked between the two men, clearly surprised by the sudden change. After a moment, she nodded.
“Y-yes. I’ll manage.”
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.