BILLIONAIRE'S UNINTENDED BRIDE

**Chapter 23: New Beginnings, Old Flames**

**Chapter 23: New Beginnings, Old Flames**

It's been a few days since I moved in with Sebastian, and surprisingly, things have been pretty smooth – no weird vibes or awkwardness. Luke, on the other hand, is another story. He's been a mess, clearly frustrated that he couldn't stop Sebastian from helping me out. He's been insisting that no matter where I go, he won't stop loving me and is adamant he'll have me back at his place soon. I told him to dream on, that I'm not planning to return.

But Luke, being Luke, is all confidence and cockiness. He actually had the audacity to tell me he'd have me back in his bed soon. And his persistence doesn't end there; he's been showing up at Sebastian's place just to see me. The man really doesn't know when to quit. Neither do I.

"Luke, why the hell are you here?"

With that infuriating confidence of his, he replied, "I'm here to spend some time with my wife."

I rolled my eyes, frustration boiling inside me. "Stop calling me that. I'm going to file for divorce as soon as possible. Just wait and see."

He stepped closer, so close I could feel his breath on my lips. His voice dropped to a low, threatening tone. "I swear to God, Emily, if you say the 'divorce' word again, I am going to spank you."

As the heat between us intensified, I found myself caught off guard by his audacious claim. "Excuse me, you do what to me?" I questioned, my voice a mixture of disbelief and rising heat.

Without missing a beat, Luke leaned in closer, his voice a low whisper, oozing with cocky confidence. "You heard me, Emily. I'm going to fucking spank you." His breath was warm against my ear, sending shivers down my spine.

In that moment, I was acutely aware of his game. Luke knew all too well how my body had always reacted to him, regardless of the turmoil in my mind. His words, provocatively delivered, his proximity, it was a calculated strategy to make me succumb, to surrender to that familiar, dangerous pull between us.

But as much as his words ignited something within me, I pushed him away, a conflicting surge of desire and determination to resist him wrestling inside me.

Luke's laughter, undeniably sexy and confident, rang in my ears as he declared, "I'll get you, Emily. Every fucking day." And with that, he turned and left, his departure leaving a trail of unresolved tension and desire in the air.

Moments later, Sebastian walked in, looking as if he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders. It was becoming a pattern, him leaving the house every day, always returning looking exhausted. "You look tired," I remarked, my curiosity piqued. "What are you doing all day that's wearing you out like this?"

I was lounging on the couch when he approached and laid his head on my lap. His hands were clasped over his head as he gazed up at me. "I'm not physically tired," he said, his voice heavy. He then took my hand and placed it on his forehead, a gesture vulnerable. "It's in here," he confessed, tapping his temple. "My mind... it's all kinds of fucked up and dark."

I wasn't sure how to respond to such a raw admission. Sebastian didn't seem like he wanted to talk more about it, so I just started massaging between his eyebrows, hoping to offer some form of comfort. As my fingers gently rubbed his skin, he closed his eyes, the tension in his face easing slightly. I watched him, this complex man with hidden depths and shadows, wondering what thoughts haunted him.

As I continued the gentle massage between Sebastian's eyebrows, I found myself studying his features closely. His face, relaxed in the quiet moment, was undeniably handsome. Almost unconsciously, my fingers trailed down from his forehead, over the bridge of his nose, down to the defined line of his jaw.

In that suspended moment, our gazes locked, there was an unspoken question hanging in the air between us. What this communication meant, I couldn't quite grasp. Was this the beginning of something new, or just a fleeting connection borne out of shared loneliness? The intensity in Sebastian's eyes was undeniable, and it stirred something within me – something confusing, something I wasn't quite ready to define.

As Sebastian's Adam's apple moved with a nervous swallow, the tension around us seemed to thicken. It was like we were both on the edge of something, a precipice neither of us was sure we wanted to leap from. My hand paused, hovering over his lips, the realization of the intimacy of my actions hitting me like a wave. It was too much, too close.

I quickly withdrew my hand, trying to steady my racing heart. The intimacy of the moment had almost carried me away. I chastised myself internally for letting it go this far, for getting lost in the moment. It was a dangerous game, one that I wasn't sure I wanted to play.

There was a heavy silence following my retreat, a mix of awkwardness and unspoken questions. But neither of us moved away, nor did we speak. We remained there, the weight of the moment hanging heavily between us.

And then, as if the intensity of the moment had drained us both, sleep took over. We drifted off, finding comfort in the shared silence, escaping the complexities of our thoughts and feelings for just a little while.