Page 44 of Lucas

“You weren’t at breakfast,” he says, his deep voice sending an involuntary shiver down my spine.

“I’m eating at the office,” I reply, trying to sidestep him, but he moves with me, staying in my way.

“Wait. I’ll drive you. We work in the same building now.” His tone is casual, but I can see the challenge in his eyes, daring me to refuse.

I meet his gaze head-on, lifting my chin. “I’d rather crawl on my belly all the way to the office than be trapped in a confined space with you. So thanks, but no thanks.”

Something flashes in his eyes, dark and heated. “Careful what you wish for, darling. Keep putting images like that in my head, and I might just take you up on it.”

Shit. I walked right into that one.

Flustered, I push past him, ignoring the way my skin tingles where we touch. “In your dreams, Valeur.”

“Every night,” he calls after me, laughter in his voice.

Face burning, I quicken my pace, desperate to put some distance between us before I do something stupid, like turn around and wipe that smug grin off his face with my lips.

No. Bad Ava. Do not go there.

Flustered and off-balance, I stride out into the entrance courtyard, the small gravel stones making it difficult to walk in my high heels. I’m forced to slow my pace so as not to twist an ankle or ruin my expensive shoes, and before I know it Lucas’s footsteps are behind me, crunching on the gravel, and I know he’s following me even though he could easilyoutpace me at the speed I’m moving. He must be enjoying watching me struggle, laughing at my discomfort.

“Fuck!” I curse as my heel catches on a large stone, and I stumble, losing my balance. I brace myself for the impact, for the painful scrape of gravel against my palms and knees.

But the impact never comes.

Instead, muscular arms wrap around my waist from behind, hauling me back against a solid chest.

Lucas’s chest.

For a moment, we’re frozen like that, my back pressed to his front, his heartbeat thundering against my spine. I’m very aware of every place we touch—the spread of his large hand against my stomach, the brush of his thighs against the backs of mine, the hot, damp puff of his breath against my ear.

With a shaky exhale, I try to step out of his hold, but his arms only tighten around me.

“Let go of me,” I grit out, hating the breathy, needy quality of my voice.

He releases me, holding his hands up in a gesture of mock surrender. “You were about to faceplant on the gravel. I was just trying to help.”

“I don’t need your help,” I snap, glaring at him as I smooth my dress, trying to regain my composure.

He runs his tongue over his perfect white teeth, a gesture that’s somehow both infuriating and sexy as hell. “Fine. Forgive me for giving a damn about my wife’s well-being. Won’t happen again.”

“I’m not your real wife,” I rasp, jabbing a finger into his chest. “This is a business arrangement, nothing more. The sooner you get that through your thick skull, the better off we’ll both be.”

Something flashes in his eyes, there and gone too quickly to decipher. “Oh, I’m very aware of the terms of our arrangement, Wifey. Believe me, I’m counting down the days until I’m rid of you.”

“Not if I get rid of you first,” I mutter under my breath, turning on my heel and stalking to my red Jeep.

I yank open the door and climb inside, slamming it shut behind me. The sound echoes in the quiet morning air, punctuating the simmering tension between us.

Through the windshield, I see Lucas standing there, watching me, his hands shoved in his pockets and his jaw clenched tight. For a moment, our eyes meet, and the air crackles with the force of our mutual loathing.

God, I hate him. I hate the way he gets under my skin, the way he can rile me up with just a few choice words and that sexy smirk. I hate that even now, with anger burning in my veins and vicious retorts on the tip of my tongue, a traitorous part of me still wants him. Still craves the heat of his touch, the taste of his kiss.

I start the engine, the powerful vibrations beneath me oddly soothing, and hit the gas. The car leaps forward, gravel spraying.

Lucas is right there, directly in my path.

I press down harder on the accelerator, my heart pounding, my blood singing with a dark, vicious thrill.