Chapter 113: If This Were A Dream
[Warning: This Chapter contains very explicit, mature content. Reader discretion is advised.]
Back at the mansion, Nolan stood on the porch, watching several cars make their way into the driveway. When one of them stopped right in front of the entrance, he lowered his head.
"Welcome back, Master, Madam—"
Nolan’s greeting halted abruptly when he saw Lucian carrying Ashley in his arms. His brows knitted, his heart pounding loudly as his mind immediately jumped to the worst conclusion. But before he could ask, Lucian had already walked past him, saying,
"Shut off our floor."
The lines on Nolan’s face deepened as he stared at Lucian’s back. "Master?"
Lucian’s steps paused, and he glanced over his shoulder. "Don’t let anyone in until I say so."
With that, he continued forward, while Ashley simply hid her face, pinching his shoulder.
He didn’t have to say that.
It wasn’t direct, but it might as well have been an announcement of what they were going to do.
"Y-yes, Master," Nolan stuttered, watching Lucian resume his steps with Ashley still in his arms.
He narrowed his eyes suspiciously, his mind not immediately jumping to that conclusion yet. But when he turned to the guards who had accompanied the couple to the party, his brows slowly rose.
All he saw was them... shaking their heads.
Then it hit him.
"Really?" Nolan’s eyes lit up, his mouth parting slightly. Everyone just nodded at him.
He whipped his head toward the mezzanine, a spark of excitement in his gaze. A satisfied smile spread across his lips as he nodded before turning to the butlers waiting for the master and madam’s return.
"You heard the master," Nolan said with a chuckle. "Shut off their floor."
*****
Meanwhile, Ashley kept pinching Lucian for his grand declaration of what would happen tonight. But in the end, all she could remember was the heat of his body—almost scalding—until her back met the mattress.
Her body bounced lightly as she landed flat on the bed.
She blinked slowly, fixing her gaze on the man hovering above her. One of Lucian’s knees rested on the edge of the bed, one hand planted beside hers, while the other reached up to loosen the ribbon around his neck.
His piercing gaze burned into her skin, his presence making her heart pound loudly in her chest.
"Lucian," she whispered, lifting both hands to cup his face.
She guided him closer, his weight pressing lightly over her. His face hovered just inches above hers, their eyes locked, their hot breath mingling between their lips. In the brief silence between them, she could hear his heartbeat just as fast as her own.
And yet, even at this distance, she couldn’t read him.
Not beyond the obvious.
"Don’t hurt me," she whispered, the words slipping out before she realized it. When she did, she swallowed lightly and added, "Once is fine."
His lashes fluttered, as if her words snapped something inside him back into place. His jaw tightened, bitterness rising in his chest.
Grabbing her wrist, he pulled it away from his cheek and pinned it beside her.
"I’ll try," he said, his voice low and controlled, his breath brushing against her skin before he captured her lips in a deep, consuming kiss.
Ashley’s brows drew together slightly, her free hand sliding over his shoulder.
She didn’t remember drinking much. Yet the longer his lips stayed on hers, the more intoxicated she felt.
Her thoughts blurred, and her body moved on instinct. Her fingers found the buttons of his shirt, undoing them one by one.
By the time she pushed his shirt off and tossed it aside, her own dress had loosened.
One by one, the layers between them disappeared: her dress, her stockings, the thin garment beneath. Then, his shirt, belt, shoes... until only the last pieces remained.
Finally, Lucian pulled back, his gaze dropping to the woman beneath him.
Ashley lay there, her chest barely covered by the loosened fabric of her bra; the strap of it had slid off her shoulders, her face flushed as she breathed unevenly.
Her eyes met his, filled with the same heat.
"Mine," he whispered, his eyelids lowering, though the intensity in his gaze remained sharp.
He lowered his head again, pressing soft kisses against her lips. She wrapped her arms around his neck, holding onto him as if he were her anchor.
If this were a dream... he would never wake up.
His lips trailed along her jaw, then her neck, his hands following the curves of her body. Slowly, his touch moved lower, his mouth leaving a trail along her collarbones before removing the last barrier covering her chest with his teeth.
What greeted him made his breath hitch.
Lucian carefully cupped one and kissed the other.
A soft whimper escaped her as her body reacted to his touch. He glanced up at her, then continued, more deliberate this time, until her breath turned uneven beneath him.
Her fingers ran through his hair, gripping tightly as he continued, his other hand mirroring the motion on the opposite side, his touch growing firmer and barely restrained.
How...?
The thought flickered through his mind.
How could he do this... without hurting her?
Not long ago, this would have been different. There would be a lot of fighting and curses flying, a lot of resistance and hatred.
But now, she welcomed it. She was responding... she was letting him.
That alone drove him further.
His body tensed as he forced himself to move on, his hands sliding down her sides, his lips following the line of her body toward her stomach.
Ashley watched him, her breathing shallow, her gaze fixed on him as his fingers brushed along the edge of her remaining clothing.
Then, he glanced up at her, meeting her eyes as if asking for her permission.
Her lips parted, then pressed together. Her face burned, seeing his face just inches from between her legs. Her eyes—filled with too many emotions to name—settled into one.
Anticipation.
Lucian felt something tighten in his throat as he read the look in her eyes. The drug still lingered in his system.
But at this moment, it didn’t matter.
Nothing else mattered... except her.
"Ah..." a soft sound escaped her as her back arched, her fingers tightening in his hair when his lips found her again.
Her vision blurred as she stared up at the dim ceiling, her body overwhelmed by a sensation she had never felt before.
Her legs tightened around his head instinctively, her breath breaking into uneven sounds as everything inside her unraveled.
And in that moment, there was nothing else she could think of.
Only him.
"... Lucian...!"