I think we need to have a little talk, woman to skank
— Jeaniene Frost
Chapter 2
It was strange going apartment hunting with no one to have as company. It was the first time I had to do such a thing with no one to consult with, and although it was frightening; it felt so liberating.
Engrossed in my own thoughts, I had trailed after the agent and pretended to take in each information she was piling on with the occasional nod of my head. From the moment I stepped foot in this small but beautiful apartment, I knew it would be my new place. I had no desire to waste time, either mine or the poor agent's.
"Is this your first place in London?" The agent asked me, her smile so bright in this murky weather London had blessed us this day. I smiled back at her, pushing my hair out of my face. "It is. I've lived in Brighton ."
Although Brighton had been my home for the past few years, the entirety of my childhood and adolescence years were spent in London. My parents endeavoured to create a very rich childhood for their only daughter before they decided to retire in the quiet city of Brighton.
"Oh, aren't you going to love this vibrant city? There are loads of..." My mind had wandered off again, cutting off whatever she had planned to say to sell this place further to me. Poor lady, I was already sold and counting down the days to move in.
The apartment was fairly small, something my screaming pocket allowed me to get. A modern open plan living room facing the skyline of the city. The walls were white; the floor made of grey wood, and it was furnished with simple white furniture. I couldn't wait to get my hands stuck in the designs and to get some character in this place.
"Have you got any questions?" the agent asked me, sounding cheerful. She must be fantastic at her job if she could maintain this much enthusiasm whilst selling homes.
I shook my head. "I'm going to go for this." I told her with a smile.
After that, it was quick work signing documents and doing any relevant checks. I had my keys the following evening.
A few weeks went by, busy shoveling in both new and old furniture, rearranging the whole place until I was satisfied. And now, I sat on my sofa, a nice fleece blanket wrapped around me as I blew over my steaming mug. A nice excellent coffee and a movie was just starting to play. Call this bliss.
I hummed to myself, revelling in the first evening I have without hauling in boxes. I purposely ignored the left over boxes in the small bathroom next to the front door. I couldn't possibly do everything within weeks of moving in. My muscles were sore and my bones were aching. My gratefulness to have a bath in my en-suite was everlasting.
A meow came from the floor and I peeked over and saw my little Persian cat, Armani, staring up at me with his big, wide eyes. He waited for my signal, and I moved my cup aside and patted my leg. "Up you get then."
The opening music of Harry Potter blasted through my speakers, and I quickly reached for the remote, pressing down on the volume. Armani turned to look at the speakers, his tiny ears following the sound.
I snuggled in further, only to get interrupted by another sound. This time it was my phone.
With a heavy sigh, I reached for my phone that was resting on my coffee table. It was Lucian calling.
My heart skipped a beat at seeing his name appear on my screen. I hadn't heard from him since the day at his office. I half contemplated to call him, to ask what was happening with Chloe. Every day, I told myself not to call and be a pest.
I sat up and cleared my throat. "Hello?"
"Yo."
"Yes?" I said as casually as I could. Hearing that simple word in his deep voice caused a strong hammer of my heart.
Lucian's quick laughter rumbled in my ear. "Open the door."
I straightened my back and glanced at my front door. I couldn't possibly be imagining his words... at what he was exactly saying. Why on earth was he here?
"I'm in bed, about to sleep." I said to him in a small voice so he couldn't hear me from the front door.
He let out an amused scoff. "I just heard the Harry Potter theme song."
"You know Harry Potter?"
"I know everything."
"Well, you must be hearing things since I'm actually in bed."
"Lexie..." Lucian drawled off. "You asked for it."
"Goodnight Lucian!" I said in an overly chirpy voice.
Armani jumped down from my lap and sprinted towards the door. Just then, I heard the lock unlocking, and the door slowly being opened.
"What the fuck?" I screeched at Lucian, who stepped into my apartment as if he owned the place and locked the door behind him.
I watched with wide eyes as he casually strolled through my apartment, his eyes scanning around the space before they landed on me. Armani was purring by his feet, walking between his legs, and I never felt so betrayed before. Armani wasn't a people's cat, he snaked the floor whenever someone came so this was out of his character. Did Lucian stash some catnip in his clothes?
"Why do you have the keys to my place?" I stared at him without blinking. I refused to give in the shock that was threatening to take over my body.
Lucian seemed unfazed at what just happened and answered as though we were discussing the weather. "Precautions."
"For what?" I shot back.
Lucian gave me a look. "For safety." When he could still see the shock coming to surface, he elaborated further. "Adam."
I knew enough to not ask any further questions. But I told myself to get him to hand over the keys before he left tonight. We could sort out any security measures without allowing him to have possession of my keys.
Keeping my eyes trained on him, I watched as he took off his jacket and placed it over one of the dining chairs. Next came off his shoes that he discarded to the side. He was left standing in his white dress shirt with a vest underneath it. His massive hands went to loosen his black tie and unbutton the top part of his shirt.
"Why are you getting comfortable?" I asked him, still wrapped tightly in my fleece blanket. It suddenly crossed my mind about my lack of garments. There was no reason for Lucian to catch any sort of glimpse of my naked flesh as I gripped onto the material harder.
"It's been a long night." He said as he took off his watch and placed it carefully on my dining table.
This was the furthest thing of normal I experienced. Lucian couldn't possibly be in my living room. Acting as though coming here at night was part of his daily routine. He made no move to leave as he continued further into my apartment.
I didn't want to know what he would do next, since the only place he could come and sit to be comfortable was on my sofa. And I was currently stretched on it, with no intention to move.
He was suddenly looming over me. "You going to make some space?" He asked slowly, his voice that bit lower to make my insides clench.
I shook my head.
Next thing I knew, I was being hauled to my feet by my arms. I let out a small protest, trying to cling on the blanket to cover my outfit, and quickly tried to escape his grasp. He frowned, noticing my desire to keep myself covered. I saw him cock his eyebrows at me before he yanked the blanket out of my grip.
"Shit." He whistled.
"There was no need for that." I hissed at him, standing in front of him in nothing but my underwear. I covered whatever dignity I had left with my arm and moved for my blanket with the other.
"There certainly was. Why are you naked?"
"This is what I usually wear to bed." I informed him. "But that's none of your business."
He threw the blanket into the distance. My shoulders slumped down. "There was no need for that either."
"Drop your arm."
"No, I'm alright." I countered.
"Lexie... I can do it for you."
I shot him a warning glare. "You do that and we're going to have some serious problems."
The ends of his mouth curled upwards, and I saw his beautiful eyes overflow with heat. "Are you going to stand there with your arms over you the entire night?"
I shook my head at him. "I'm going to put on some clothes. And then we'll talk about why you are here."
"I'm sure you know why I'm here." Lucian smiled, showing me his white teeth. I held in my breath. There was nothing sweet about that smile.
I couldn't tell you what possessed me. Maybe it was seeing that feral heat in his eyes, simply appearing because of the thought of my breast. I could sway him over with that, with just a peep show of my body. And I wasn't ashamed to admit it thrilled me to have his eyes over my body, a body I had honed to perfection so I could flaunt it during moments like these.
With a raise of my eyebrows, I dropped my arm and watched his eyes dip with them. He let out a harsh hiss. His irises widened when he managed to look up at my face. "You're out of this world." He rasped. Appreciation bloomed through me.
I stepped closer towards him, enjoying how I flipped the game on him. It wasn't until I was close to him that I came to a halt. My hand reached for his until our fingers intertwined. I used it to guide his hand over my body, resting them on the curve of my hip. I heard the sharp intake of his breath before he dug his fingers into my skin.
I ignored him and carried on guiding his hand, raking them over my bare stomach, upwards until they rested at the end of my ribcage, his fingers ghosting the underside of my breast.
I let his touch consume me, my heart galloping in my chest. I watched his own chest fall up and down, exhaling roughly. It took every ounce of sheer will to take a step back, severing his touch on my burning skin. Just as quick as it happened, I feigned recovery.
I kept my eyes firmly locked on his. "Are you going to sit and get comfortable now?" I asked him innocently.
Lucian held my eyes as he slowly stepped closer. "Are you going to put on some clothes?" He countered. Up close, I could see different specks of warm brown hues swimming in his eyes.
I lifted my finger to trace it over his jawline, the hard line setting a reminder of who stood before me. He grabbed my finger just as it came close to his lower lip, over to the small scar under his lower lip that I never saw before. I flicked my gaze up at his eyes and saw something dark and unfiltered cross over them. At once, I knew this teasing side of Lucian disappeared.
He released my finger and seized the back of my thighs to hoist me up. On impulse, I spread my thighs to adjust his immense shape, my arms reaching around his neck as my exposed chest pressed against his.
His lips came plunging down, unwarranted and unapologetic. Lucian lips were hard yet warm against my own, his tongue seeking entrance. I parted my lips on a slight moan and he took that invitation to delve in. Our tongues clashed, our breathing hot and heavy as we both stole and gave to each other. He walked backwards until my naked back hit the icy wall behind me.
His hands drove up and clenched my ass, his fingers slipping into from the sides of my thong and drawing my complete body into his. "Lucian," I breathed out across his lips.
His name must have broken him from the frenzy that overcame us. He pulled back to nuzzle my bare neck, his breath a flame that my skin seemed to thrill against. "Go put some clothes on before we both do something we shouldn't."
He dropped me down onto my own feet, not missing the leisurely time he took and how each curves of my body slid across his.
I wanted to say there would be no regret from my end, but instead hightailed it into my bedroom.