Page 14 of Lucas

But for now, my right hand will have to do.

Chapter Five

LUCAS

The sun beats down on my skin, hot and heavy, as I lounge by the pool overlooking the dense redwood forest that surrounds my estate. The chatter of birds and the distant gurgle of the stream that winds through my property fill the air, a symphony of nature undisturbed.

“So, you’re going to propose? Lucas Valeur, the eternal bachelor, getting hitched?” Noah raises his artisanal beer bottle in a mock toast, his blue eyes dancing with mirth. Noah’s the serious one of our trio, the levelheaded voice of reason. But even he can’t hide his amusement at the idea of me playing house.

I roll my eyes and stretch out on the oversized chaise lounge, my swim trunks riding low on my hips. “It’s a sham marriage,” I remind him, reaching into the built-in cooler beside me for another cold one. The icy condensation feels good against my overheated skin.

Kaleb snorts, sprawled on the matching lounger to my left. “Sham, my ass. I’ve seen photos of her. She’s fucking gorgeous, with those prim little business suits that scream, ‘bend me over a desk.’ You know what they say about chicks like that—tigers in the boardroom, absolute whores in the bedroom.”

I signal to Hugo, my house manager, for another round before popping the cap off my fresh bottle. I trust Noah and Kaleb with my life. We’ve been together ever since we were in high school. They’re batshit crazy, both of them, but loyal to a fault.

“Doesn’t matter. I’m not planning on sleeping with her. She’s a Gant,” I say, taking a long pull from my beer.

Noah tilts his head, squinting against the glare of the sun. “Don’t shit where you eat, eh?”

“Something like that.” I tip my bottle back again, downing half of the chilled lager in one long swallow. Fuck, maybe I should slow down. It’s barely noon, and I’m already feeling the pleasant buzz of inebriation creeping in.

Kaleb waggles his brow. “So, what, you’re going to take a vow of celibacy? How long is this little scheme of yours supposed to last?”

I shrug like it’s no big thing. And it isn’t. I’ve gone longer without getting my dick wet, despite what everyone thinks.

“Dude, you can’t even go a week without sticking it in some random. How the hell are you going to handle being fake-married for years with no sex?”

I bristle, my grip tightening on the sweating bottle. “I’ll have you know I haven’t been with anyone since I returned from Hong Kong two weeks ago.” It’s a point of pride, really.Proof that I can control myself when I need to. Even if my balls are bluer than the goddamn Pacific.

Kaleb just smirks.Bastard.

Noah leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “Let me get this straight. You’re planning to use Gant’s own daughter to destroy him? That’s cold, man. Even for you. What’d she ever do to you?”

My jaw clenches, an old, familiar anger rising in my throat like bile. “She’s the new acting CEO. That makes her just as culpable as her crooked old man in my books. You think she doesn’t know all the shady shit that goes on in that company? They tried to tank Valeur—nearly succeeded too.”

“But they didn’t,” Noah points out. “You guys are bigger than Gant ever was.”

“No thanks to them,” I spit. “Dear Old Michael Gant may have failed, but not for lack of trying. And fightin’ dirty too. Valeur is untouchable now...but it’s the principle of the thing.”

Noah sighs and sets his empty bottle aside. “I’m gonna go cool off. You two scheming supervillains have fun.”

With a fluid dive, he slices into the clear turquoise water of the pool, leaving hardly a ripple. Kaleb and I watch him cut through the calm surface in a perfect breaststroke.

After a moment, I turn back to Kaleb. “I need to convince her to marry me first.”

He barks out a laugh, shaking his head. “From what you’ve told me, that chick is a ball-buster. She won’t make it easy for you.”

“I’ve never backed down from a challenge,” I remind him. “And this one is gonna be so fuckin’ sweet when I win.”

“Why her, though? There are a million gold-digging bimbos who would jump on a chance to get wifed up by a billionaire, no questions asked. Why go to all this trouble?”

“Because it’s not about the marriage, it’s about revenge. About collecting on the debt the Gants owe my family. And what better way to do that than with his precious baby girl?”

I can’t keep the undercurrent of savage anticipation from my voice. This isn’t just a game to me. It’s fucking personal.

“She won’t know what hit her,” I continue. “It’s perfect. She gets in bed with the enemy, thinking she’s saving her daddy’s legacy, and instead signs its death warrant. By the time she realizes she’s just a pawn in my end game, it’ll be too late.”

Kaleb lets out a low whistle. “Shit. Remind me never to get on your bad side.”