Page 23 of Saint
“Yes,” I cut him off. “Just get me the information.”
I end the call and pour myself three fingers of scotch, neat. The amber liquid burns pleasantly as I swallow it in one go. Setting down the glass, I walk to the window that overlooks the city—my city.
I’ve built an empire through calculation and control. I’ve never lost my temper in a business deal, never let emotion cloud my judgment. Until now. Until her.
One night with Lily Moore and I’m ready to risk everything I’ve built. Prepared to go to war with her father if that’s what it takes to get her back.
My phone buzzes with an incoming message. I expect it to be from Dominic, but instead, I see her name on the screen. My heart rate spikes as I open it.
Lily: I’m sorry for leaving like this. I needed space to think. Please don’t be angry.
Don’t be angry? I laugh, the sound harsh in the quiet of my apartment. She’s asking for the impossible.
I type out three different responses, deleting each one before finally settling on:
Me: You have until Friday, Lily. Then I’m coming for you, and not even your father will be able to keep you from me.
I hit send before I can reconsider. Let her know exactly what she’s dealing with. Let her spend the week thinking about me, wanting me, just as I’ll be thinking about her.
My phone buzzes again almost immediately.
Lily: Don’t threaten me, Luca. I’m not one of your employees.
The fire in her response makes me smile despite my anger. That’s my girl—the fierce little kitten who thinks she has claws.
Me: It’s not a threat, baby girl. It’s a promise. Friday. Be ready.
I toss the phone onto the couch and pour another drink. Four days. I can give her four days to play at independence, to convince herself she doesn’t need what I offer. But come Friday, Lily Moore will be back where she belongs—in my bed, in my arms, under my protection.
And this time, I won’t let her go.
Chapter 16
Lily
I wakewith a jolt of adrenaline, my body drenched in sweat, heart hammering against my ribs like it’s trying to escape. Fragments of my dream still cling to me—Luca’s hands on my skin, his lips at my neck, his voice a dark whisper in my ear. I press my thighs together, embarrassed by how wet I am just from dreaming about him.
“God,” I whisper into the stillness of my childhood bedroom. The governor’s mansion is silent around me, the heavy curtains blocking the morning light. I reach for my phone on the nightstand, my fingers hovering over Luca’s name. His last message glares back at me.
Luca: It’s not a threat, baby girl. It’s a promise. Friday. Be ready.
A shiver runs through me that has nothing to do with the air conditioning. Part of me wants to text him, to tell him I miss him, that I’m sorry for running. The other part—the rational part—knows I needed this space. Needed to get away from his intensity, his possessiveness, his ability to make me forget who I am.
I set the phone down without typing anything. Four more days. Four days to figure out what I want.
The bathroom attached to my suite is entirely marble, with gold fixtures—my father’s idea of luxury. I run the water as hot as I can stand it, pouring in lavender bath salts that fill the room with fragrant steam. As I sink into the water, I close my eyes and immediately see Luca’s face—those piercing blue eyes, that knowing smirk. My hand drifts between my legs before I can stop myself.
I imagine it’s his fingers touching me, his voice commanding me to come for him. It doesn’t take long before I’m biting my lip to keep from crying out, my body tensing and then releasing in waves of pleasure that leave me breathless.
“Stupid,” I mutter afterward, sinking deeper into the cooling water. “So stupid.”
I can’t keep doing this. Can’t keep letting him consume my thoughts. He’s dangerous—not just because of who he is, but because of how he makes me feel. Like I’d do anything to keep him looking at me the way he does.
By the time I dress and make my way downstairs, I’ve almost convinced myself I’m over him.
Mom is already at the breakfast table, newspaper spread out beside her plate of untouched toast. She looks up when I enter, her practiced smile warming slightly at the edges.
“There you are, darling. I was beginning to think you’d sleep all day."
