Chapter 5

I didn't refuse Lucas; I obediently leaned on his shoulder.

He could protect me from Aiden and Campbell, and all I had to do was be his lover. It sounded like a pretty sweet deal.

Just as I'd hoped, I moved into Lucas's villa.

I half-expected his home to be as cold and rigid as he was, but it was the complete opposite. The place was like a castle inside a snow globe, with a courtyard overflowing with roses.

"Did you plant these? I didn't take you for the sentimental type."

I pressed closer to him. The hand on my waist gave me a firm squeeze, a gesture that felt less like an answer and more like a deflection.

I didn't understand what was so hard to answer, unless, someone else had planted them.

I glanced at his profile, the sharp, chiseled lines of his face looking like a masterfully carved sculpture. A man like him wouldn't be short on female. I should probably be more understanding.

Just as I was about to say something, he spoke first, "You'll stay in the room next to mine."

Lucas led me to his bedroom door, painted a deep navy blue that reminded me of Brooklyn's brooding, overcast skies.

But…

"You're putting me in the room next door?"

If there were a mirror nearby, I'd probably die laughing at the ridiculous expression on my face.

I was his woman now, and he wanted us to sleep in separate rooms?

Shedding any remaining hesitation, I threw my arms around his neck. I felt his breath catch in his throat, a sharp, sudden intake of air. See? His body's reaction was just as intense as mine, if not more so.

"Are you sure you want to keep fighting this?"

I didn't have much experience in this department. I'd always been conservative, but meeting him had unlocked a wilder, more reckless side of me I never knew existed.

I craved Lucas's touch, his kisses. His lips were like a fuse, capable of igniting a wildfire within me with the slightest contact.

His eyes flickered, a storm of conflict raging within them. He was so close to the edge.

I desperately wanted to see him lose control.

Leaning in, I placed my hand flat against his chest. "This time, don't push me away. Please?"

"You want this that badly?"

Lucas's breathing turned ragged and heavy. He wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me hard against him until our bodies were flush, molded together without an inch of space between us. I guessed no two people could fit together more perfectly.

I didn't bother hiding it anymore. "I've been thinking about it constantly."

His kiss was fierce and urgent, a storm of pent-up need. The sound of his ragged breaths was the most potent aphrodisiac I could imagine. I tilted my head back, my body melting into a puddle in his arms.

I reveled in the heat of his palm as he pressed me against the wall, his fingers finding their way inside.

I arched against him, desperate to be closer. "Lucas."

A sharp knock echoed from door. My desire evaporated in an instant, so did his.

I saw the darkness cloud his eyes. His hand tightened instinctively, the pressure almost enough to leave bruises. "Go to your room and wait for me."

His voice was a raw, guttural sound, forced from a throat that seemed coated in ice.

A chilling premonition seized me. I suddenly wanted to run—anywhere but here.

The door creaked open, and Campbell's voice boomed through the entryway. "Hand over Eleanor."

My scalp prickled. That old, raspy voice was the soundtrack to my nightmares.

How did he find me so fast? And with such an arrogant tone. Typical of the Campbell family—all pride and entitlement.

Would Lucas be okay? Campbell was a brute who played by his own rules. Lucas wouldn't be at a disadvantage, would he?

Worry gnawed at me. I started to turn back, but a hand with long, bony fingers clamped around my wrist. "Please come with me, Ms. Vance."

Ms. Vance?

Who was this guy? Had he been here the whole time?

He dragged me into the adjacent room and locked the door behind me.

I was about to thank him when his entire demeanor shifted. His face twisted into a leering, vicious sneer, his lips curling as he crossed his arms, eyeing me like a prize he'd just won. "You can call me Antonio."

If he worked for Lucas, he was being way out of line. "Did Lucas tell you to bring me here?"

Antonio's expression was menacing, like a terrorist. He leaned in, his voice a low warning. "He did. And you'd better behave. Don't even think about leaving. If you cause Mr. Costa any trouble, I'll dispose of you for him."

The fact that he dared to speak to me like that suggested he held a significant position within the Costa family.

"You won't get the chance."

I had no interest in wasting another word on him. I pressed my ear to the door, straining to hear the confrontation outside.

Campbell's voice was unmistakable, rough and gravelly like it had been worn down by sandpaper. "Give me Eleanor, and I'll pretend this never happened."

Lucas's reply was infuriatingly calm. "If you're going to accuse me of holding one of your people, you'll need to provide some proof."

He spoke with an air of complete indifference, as if Campbell were nothing more than a minor annoyance.

The rest of their conversation became muffled. Then came the slam of a door, followed by a set of footsteps stopping right outside my room.

Fearing Lucas might have been hurt in a fight with Campbell, I threw the door open. Fortunately, He was standing there, perfectly unharmed.

I launched myself into his arms, my voice a mix of hope and anxiety. "Is Campbell gone? Did he give up?"

I was desperate for an affirmative answer.

Unfortunately, reality rarely cooperated.

Lucas didn't answer directly. Instead, he simply stated, "I won't let them take you."

I wanted to press him for more, but he backed me against the door, his ragged breaths returning as he seemed intent on finishing what we'd started.

But my mood was gone. The thrill had been replaced by a knot of dread.

Lucas noticed my distraction. His lips thinned into a tight line. He stopped, pulling a small black case from his pocket and handing it to me.

I'd seen one just like it at Aiden's. Inside was a miniature handgun, known for its deadly accuracy.

I handled it gingerly, terrified it might go off by accident. Looking up at Lucas, I asked, "What's this for?"

"To protect yourself."

I playfully aimed the barrel at his chest. "Does that include protecting myself from you?"

I couldn't help but provoke him. I wanted to see him lose his legendary control, to be consumed by desire, to be tangled up with me in bed.

That was what I wanted to see the most.

Lucas arched an eyebrow, a flicker of amusement in his eyes. "That won't be necessary. Unless you don't like my touch."

"I like it," I cut him off. "I can come to your room tonight."

Lucas's hands cupped my backside, his thumbs kneading gently until my whole body flushed with heat.

He leaned down, his lips brushing my ear as he whispered, "If you can't wait, I can help you. Any way you want. But right now, you're coming with me to the training range."

I wasn't a woman ruled by lust, but if he was Lucas, I would gladly drown in it until my last breath.

At the training range, Lucas transformed into a drill sergeant from hell. He was relentlessly demanding.

My arms ached and my vision blurred, but he still insisted on a perfect stance.

I hated this side of him, especially the look in his eyes—so cold it felt like he was dissecting me.

As he walked past me, I let my body go limp, slumping against his shoulder. "Let's go back," I purred. "Didn't you say you were going to help me?"

I tilted his chin up, my invitation hanging in the air.

But Lucas was a block of ice. He emotionlessly pushed my hand away and went right back to treating me like a raw recruit.

'Liar,' I thought, a bitter sting of resentment welling up inside me.

He was the one who wanted me as his woman, yet now he was treating me like this, hot one moment and cold the next. It was like I was just some disposable bedmate.

What was I to him, really?