Page 85 of Veil of Obsession

“Lucio,” she whispers, like she doesn’t know what to say next. Like she’s waiting for me to say something instead.

I should say something. I should tell her this was a mistake. I should pull back, put some goddamn distance between us before I cross another line.

Instead, I lean in, pressing my lips to her temple, lingering longer than I should.

“I need to go.” My voice is rough, raw.

She blinks up at me, her brows knitting together. “Right now?”

I push off her bed, standing to my full height. The air is thick between us, like a weight pressing down on my chest. She watches me carefully, still sprawled out, still looking too fucking beautiful like this. Like she was made to be underneath me.

I reach down, dragging my fingers over her stomach, scooping up some of the mess I made before bringing it to her lips. Her breath stutters, her thighs clenching together as she sucks my fingers clean, my eyes never leaving hers.

“Fuck,” I whisper, barely audible.

This changes everything.

I grab my jeans, pulling them on in one rough movement and zipping myself up. The weight of her stare makes it hard to focus. She sits up slightly, still bare, hair messy, ips swollen. She doesn’t cover herself. Doesn’t shy away.

“Why do you have to leave? Can’t we talk some more?” Her voice is soft, unsure.

I meet her gaze, my jaw locking for half a second before I exhale through my nose. “Because if I stay, we won’t be doing any talking.”

Her lips part slightly, but no words come out.

Yeah. She understands.

I move toward the window, pushing it open with one hand. The cool night air rushes in, hitting my overheated skin. I swing one leg over the sill before glancing back at her one last time. She looks like a fucking dream, sprawled out of her bed, ruined, flushed, watching me like she doesn’t want me to go either.

“Lock your window after I leave,” I mutter.

She smirks, but it’s weak. “And if I don’t?”

I chuckle under my breath, shaking my head. “You do not want me being able to open your fucking window again.”

And with that, I leave out her window, shutting it behind me.

33

Princess

Ilie in bed, unsure what to make of what happened tonight. I trace my lips with my fingertips lightly.

My entire body feels like it’s on fire. I can’t believe Lucio and I came so close to crossing an invisible line.

I sit up, swing my legs over the edge of my bed and get up. I need to shower. I don’t know when I’ll see him again, but I hope he won’t avoid me. And I don’t know what I’ll do when they find out I’m the one responsible for the security breach.

This is all a fucking mess. And I need to figure out what the fuck I want to do, fast.

Turning the shower on, I strip out of my clothes and dump them in the laundry basket. I wait until the water is warm enough not to cause goosebumps. Stepping under the water, I try not to panic at how Lucio will react once he does find out that I was the one who hacked into their system.

And lied to him.

I absentmindedly wash my hair before scrubbing the rest of my body.

After the shower, I feel less tense, but I still feel a sense of doom. I don’t know what it is, but it’s there in the pit of my stomach, nagging me.

I barely sleep a wink all night, I just lie there, staring at my room’s ceiling.