Page 62 of Lucas

The kiss rises in my memory, and my stomach clenches.

I’d bet my fortune he’s thinking about fucking her right now.

Just like I want to.

I come up to them from the side and tug on her arm, pulling her away.

“Hey!” she calls out, a note of surprise in her voice.

“Who are you?” The man grabs me, preventing me from getting her away.

I drop my gaze to his hand and then back to his face. “You have ten seconds to take your hand off me, or you lose it,” I growl. “I’m her husband. Who are you?”

The guy’s eyes bulge, almost popping out of their sockets as he understands the situation. Then he removes his hand from me and takes a step back. Within half a minute, he’s far away from us.

“You—you—” she sputters. “I don’t even know what you are.”

“I’m sorry for making sure you adhere to the terms of our agreement.”

“Agreement? Are you serious? You can’t just manhandleme like some kind of cave dweller every time a man breathes the same air as me! It’s ridiculous. Not to mention insulting. What do you think will happen? We’ll exchange a few words, and I’ll go tarnish your precious reputation by fucking a stranger in the coatroom? We were just talking.”

I guide Ava into a shadowy hallway, away from the prying eyes and gossiping mouths of the other guests. The moment we’re alone, she wrenches out of my grasp and whirls to face me, emerald eyes blazing with fury.

“I get it, okay? Your dad was a cheater. That doesn’t give you the right to project all your issues onto me.” Her words slash at me like razor blades cutting deep.

I recoil as if she’d slapped me, a harsh breath punching from my lungs. “I can’t believe you just said that.”

Regret flashes across her face, and she reaches for me, but I jerk away from her touch as if it burns. “Lucas, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean?—”

“Didn’t mean to throw my insecurities in my face in the middle of a fucking party? To use something I told you in confidence against me the first chance you got?” I laugh, but it’s a jagged, brittle sound. “Wow. Silly me, thinking I could trust you with even a sliver of vulnerability. My mistake. It won’t happen again.”

“No. I wasn’t trying to hurt you. I just?—”

I hold up a hand, cutting off her excuses. I can’t stand here and listen to her try to justify twisting the knife. Not when I’m holding on to my composure by a thread.

“Save it. I’m done with this farce of a party, and I’m done with this conversation. Let’s go.”

I stride toward the exit without waiting for a response. Idon’t look back to see if she’s following. I can’t. If I do, I might say or do something I can’t take back.

The crisp night air slaps me in the face as I burst outside, but it does little to cool the roiling anger and hurt clawing at my insides. I drag in a shuddering breath and tip my head back to the star-strewn sky, trying to regain some semblance of control.

Tentative footsteps click on the marble behind me. I don’t turn.

“Lucas.” Ava’s voice is small, hesitant. “I’m so sorry. What I said in there… It was cruel and uncalled for. I was angry and hurt, and I lashed out without thinking. It’s no excuse, and I’m truly sorry.”

“I don’t want to hear it.” The words taste like ash on my tongue. “You made yourself perfectly clear. My tragic past is a weakness to be exploited. Duly noted.”

“That’s not what I meant!” Frustration bleeds into her tone. She steps into my line of sight, forcing me to look at her. Unshed tears glitter in her eyes. “I wasn’t trying to use your pain against you. I would never do that. I just... I hate feeling like you don’t trust me.”

“Gee, I wonder why that is.” Sarcasm drips from every syllable. “Maybe it has something to do with you making a fool of me in there, letting that creep paw all over you.”

“Oh, my God, he barely touched me! We were just talking. Maybe if you hadn’t abandoned me the second we walked in to go schmooze?—”

“I was working the room. Making connections and promoting the business. You know, the company I’m busting my ass to manage. So sorry if that’s such an inconvenience to you, Your Highness.”

She makes a wordless sound of pure frustration, throwing her hands up. “You are so infuriating. I’m not some delicate flower who needs you to defend her honor every five seconds, Lucas. I can handle myself.”

I scoff. “Yeah, you handled that perv real well. Forget it. Flirt with whoever you want. Just don’t expect me to smile and play the doting husband while you disrespect me.”