Lucien emerged from the bathroom wrapped in the scent of her—a mix of vanilla and something warm he couldn't quite name, but it clung to him, oddly grounding. He glanced over and saw May fast asleep, her face peaceful, breaths slow and even. Smiling, he gently pulled the blanket up to her shoulders, brushing a stray curl from her cheek before he stepped into the living room to make a call.
Switching immediately to Italian, Lucien's tone grew hard as he spoke to his right-hand man, expressing his anger over someone leaking intel to their competitors. This time, he had a plan. They would plant false information, laying a trap to catch the traitor once and for all.
After hanging up, he walked back into the bedroom to check on May, his shoulders relaxing as he neared her. Her blue eyes blinked open, and she gazed up at him with a soft smile.
"Come to bed, Lucien," she murmured.
He chuckled, crossing his arms and shaking his head. "That's tempting, angel. But it's risky. I'm not sure I'd be able to behave myself."
She tilted her head, giving him a sly look. "Who said I want you to behave?"
The invitation in her voice undid him. He leaned down, capturing her lips with an intensity he had held back for too long. His hands found her waist, his mouth traveling down her neck, and she responded in kind, teasing him with a grind that made him groan, fighting to hold himself back.
Breathing heavily, he pulled back just enough to meet her gaze. "We have to stop," he said, his voice rough. "I need you fully well for this, and I want it to be right. You deserve it to be perfect."
She touched his face, her eyes warm. "You are my angel, Lucien."
He smiled at that, a rare softness in his gaze. Slipping into bed beside her, he let her curl into him, her head resting on his chest as he wrapped his arm around her. For the first time in a long while, Lucien felt completely at peace, and as her breathing evened out, he found himself drifting off to sleep alongside her.
