Page 73 of Lucian

Lucian didn’t act the least bit surprised by her intrusion. Actually, he held one of his hands out to the side of his chair, waiting for hers to hold. The moment her palm met his, he tugged her closer to his side. She rested on the arm of his carefully balanced chair as he took another hit from the dwindling joint before releasing it to the dark sky as well.

“You looked peaceful like you do,” Lucian replied. “I don’t like waking you when you’re dreaming.”

Jordyn smiled. “No?”

“No. Dreams shouldn’t be interrupted by selfish men, Jordyn.”

“You’re high.”

“A little,” Lucian agreed, smirking lazily. “What are you doing up, anyway?”

Jordyn shrugged under the grey sheet. “I forgot to tell you something earlier.”

Lucian took another hard draw from the joint, effectively finishing it before tossing it into the steel ashtray at his feet. “What was it, sweetheart?”

“That I was going to come back.”

A smile curved Lucian’s lips, lax and easy from the weed. Jordyn grinned at the sight of him careless and carefree. “Today, you mean?”

“Yeah. After I got what I wanted, I was going to grab another taxi back here.”

“I didn’t realize you had stressful enough thoughts that they would wake you up so you could tell me of them.”

“Of course it was,” Jordyn said, fending mock offence. “This kind of thing is very important.”

“Why’s that?”

Jordyn swallowed her nerves. It wasn’t the time for them. “Because, Lucian … I love you, too.”

The chair Lucian had been leaning back on two legs dropped to the roof patio with a thud, nearly knocking her off the chair. For a long time, he didn’t say anything. Jordyn didn’t let his silence cut away at the security she had in her own feelings, or knowledge of how strong they were for him.

It just was.

Better she start admitting them now.

“Yeah?” Lucian finally asked, his strong arm coming to wrap around her waist.

“Yeah. I just wanted to tell you so you know. There’s no wondering about it, or dancing around. I just do. It’s kind of easy. That’s a little scary.”

Jordyn felt Lucian’s forehead press to her back. “It is, you’re right.”

Then, he was moving and pulling her backwards without warning. Jordyn found her back sprawled over him in the chair, but his arms kept her cradled from the hard metal. The sheet had fallen out of her grip and opened in the unexpected movement, exposing her nakedness to cold, dark air and Lucian’s heated gaze.

“Love me, huh?”

“Stupidly,” Jordyn replied.

“Good. I was terribly fucking worried I was alone in this. Love can make a bad man a monster.”

“As long as he’s loving on me, too.”

Lucian graced her with another one of his wicked grins. “Oh, he’s definitely loving on you.”

Chapter Sixteen

Antony Marcello was an enigmatic, intimidating man.

Jordyn thought she had a grasp on the many masks he wore daily, from father, to business man, to husband, to mafia crime boss. Thought being the key word, because frankly, she didn’t understand a damned thing about the man.