[Warning: This Chapter contains strong language and mature themes. Reader discretion is advised.]

Soft gasps echoed through the kitchen as the tension between Ashley and Lucian continued to rise. Each touch seemed to set their bodies aflame.

Lucian’s hands tightened around the thick fabric of her robe, crumpling it in his grip. The robe slipped slightly from her shoulder, exposing smooth skin beneath.

His lips left hers, trailing along her cheek and jaw before brushing against her ear. He lingered there briefly before moving down the side of her neck.

A quiet sound escaped Ashley as her breath trembled.

She clutched his shoulders and tilted her head, her cheeks flushed from the warmth of his touch. Her body shivered as his hand traced the curve of her side before settling on her thigh.

The robe parted slightly, revealing more of her leg.

His hand tightened. The veins on the back of Lucian’s hand stood out as though he were still restraining himself.

It had been a while.

Ever since the incident that nearly led to an unnecessary transplant, he had tried to be careful.

Ashley never said it directly, but he knew her. That experience had frightened her far more than she would ever admit.

Selfishly, the realization made him happy.

Not because she was afraid.

But because it reminded him how much he meant to her.

Back then, his goal had been simple.

Take her away from the Di Carpios. Become someone important in her life — or just somebody. But Lucian had always been ambitious.

Instead of settling for a place in her life, he had chosen the place he wanted most.

Her husband.

Did he think it was wrong?

Absolutely.

Deep down, Lucian knew he had ruined any chance of a proper beginning long before they exchanged vows.

If there was one thing he remembered about the little girl from his past, it was that she hated force. Whether someone forced her into something or she witnessed it happening to someone else, she despised it.

That was why he never truly grew angry with her.

If anything, he expected every act of resistance she threw his way.

His only hope had been that one day she would stop fighting him. Or that her time in Dominion would give him enough opportunities to earn her heart.

That hope faded over time.

Ashley was no longer the girl he remembered.

She was fiercer.

The harder he pushed, the harder she pushed back.

Then, just when he thought he might have to settle for giving her a better future before leaving this world...

She woke up one day with renewed purpose.

Since then, she had changed.

She became sweeter.

More adorable.

Sillier.

Ridiculous, even.

A small part of Lucian still wondered whether it had started as another one of her tactics. Perhaps he would never truly know.

Perhaps she realized she was the only person he would never let go of, no matter what she did. Yet somehow, whatever began between them had blossomed into something beautiful.

Because of that, Lucian wanted her to be happy.

He wanted her to worry less. Even if it meant holding himself back for her sake. Even if it meant enduring the frustration himself.

But tonight, she had come to him first.

How was he supposed to resist?

How was he supposed to remain calm when she stood before him, wrapped in a robe that barely concealed the view he loved most?

How was he supposed to ignore the excitement that surged through him whenever she looked at him like this?

The thoughts of more physical intimacy had crossed his mind countless times.

Every morning.

Every evening.

Every ordinary moment they spent together.

If only she knew.

If only she knew how often she occupied his thoughts.

Consumed by emotions he had spent so long suppressing, Lucian pulled her closer. His arm tightened around her waist. His hand reached down, sliding underneath the robe to her flower.

"You’re...," he murmured against her lips. "... dripping."

Ashley shivered.

The warmth of his touch, the closeness between them, and the intensity in his gaze made her heart race. The moment their lips met again, she felt herself melting.

As though something inside her had been missing for far too long.

No, she told herself.

Tonight wasn’t supposed to be about her.

The thought snapped her back to reality.

"Wait," she whispered.

Lucian frowned. "No."

He did not want to wait tonight. He had been waiting, extending his patience, telling himself it was his fault for not being careful and nearly dying because of this negligence.

But instead of explaining, Ashley leaned up and kissed him again.

"Please?" she whispered, planting small kisses on his lips and cheeks.

"Why?" his voice rough, exhaling sharply as she continued kissing her way down his neck.

His brows twitched when her hand suddenly pressed against his groin. Yet he didn’t move. He let her feel him, let her know how hard he was—how the frustration he had been suppressing felt almost unbearable.

Lucian let her continue until he realized she had begun kissing his chest through the fabric of his shirt, her hand slipping beneath it. She pulled up his shirt slightly, her palm gliding down his skin. She brushed her lips against his skin, trailing lower.

This time, he reached for her shoulder.

"Wait," he said, gazing down.

His breathing halted.

Ashley was already kneeling before him.

Kneeling.

Looking up at him.

Her fingertips lightly brushed the waistband of his pajama pants.

Ashley never knelt for anyone.

Even when forced into difficult situations, there was always a trace of defiance in her eyes.

But seeing her now, Lucian found himself holding his breath.

"What?" came her playful voice. "No?"

An amused chuckle escaped him.

Slowly, he reached down and rested a palm atop her head.

His heart hammered against his chest as he finally realized why she had been stretching her mouth so wide earlier.

"You should’ve just asked," he said, his voice low and rough.

A faint smirk tugged at his lips.

"I’ll teach you."