Page 49 of Lucas

Fuck. I am so screwed.

Chapter Fifteen

LUCAS

The morning sunlight streams through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the sunroom, casting a warm, golden glow.

Ava walks in and pauses by Hugo, placing a hand on his arm as she leans in to exchange a few quiet words. He smiles and nods, then slips out of the room, leaving us alone.

An irrational surge of jealousy tightens my gut. I don’t like their easy conversations, the way she touches him.

What the hell is wrong with me? Hugo has been a loyal employee for over a decade. I trust him. There’s no reason for me to bristle at his interaction with my wife.

My wife. The words still feel strange on my tongue, unfamiliar and weighty.

Ava turns to me, her gaze zeroing in on the angry red scratches marring my throat. A smirk tugs at the corner of hermouth as she saunters over, sliding into the chair across from me.

“Rough sex?” she asks, arching a brow.

I reach up to adjust my collar, trying to hide the evidence of my humiliating altercation with her feathered friend. “You know very well where these scratches came from. Your little monster did this.”

“He’s not a monster.” She reaches for the pot of coffee and pours herself a cup. The rich, aromatic scent fills the air, mingling with her light floral perfume. “You’re the one who tried to steal him. What did you expect? And don’t worry, I don’t plan on invoking the infidelity clause.”

She’s wearing a tailored white suit with black trim and looks like a million dollars. Contrary to what she thinks, I very much like the way she dresses. Sexy and restrained. Tailored and elegant. As if she stepped out of some 1940s Hollywood movie.

“I’m not worried.” I stretch and sip my coffee. “You’ll never have a reason to invoke that clause. Like I told you, cheating is a red line for me.”

She takes off her jacket and drapes it over the chair beside her. Her pink lace bra peeks out from under the semi-sheer blouse she’s wearing.

Fuck. I shift in my seat, my pants uncomfortably tight. I’m grateful for the heavy drape of the tablecloth hiding my lap from view.

Maybe I was too hasty to let the stylist purchase dresses for her without considering her taste. I wouldn’t object to more of this.

She gives me a curious look, her green eyes glinting in themorning light. “Yes, you said that. It seems you have something personal with the issue. Did someone cheat on you in the past?”

“Not that it’s any of your business, but no. No one has cheated on me.” I don’t stay in relationships long enough for that to happen. Once I conquer them, I’m gone. I have no interest in being manipulated.

“So what is it, then?” She rests her chin on her hand.

“Nothing. I just don’t like cheating, that’s all.”

“Yeah, right,” she mutters. “You don’t have to tell me, but please don’t treat me like an idiot and lie to me.”

I grind my teeth together. “Are we still at war?”

“War?” She raises her head, her lips parting.

I could get up, go to her, and lay her on this table right now. Spread her legs and teach her a lesson. “Yes. War. You towed my car to the middle of the parking lot. Remember?”

She shrugs. “You didn’t allocate a parking spot in the building for me, and I had nowhere to park. I had to improvise.”

“All this over a parking spot?”

“The offices moved a week prior. It’s clear you deliberately delayed the allocation.”

“Deliberately? You think I deal with such things myself? I have an office manager who does all the administrative work. Might I remind you I was here at home with you all week? She probably missed it, an innocent mistake.”

“Yeah, right.”