Sinful Pleasure

Annoyance surged through me as I realized my carefully crafted plan to disappear without a trace had failed miserably.

Ignoring the dizziness threatening to knock me back down, I pushed myself to my feet and spun around. There hadn't been anyone here when I arrived. Not a single soul.

So who was interfering now?

I staggered backward, pressing a hand against my throbbing temple.

"Who the hell are you?" I snapped.

The rooftop was poorly lit, making it impossible to identify the stranger standing a few steps away. My eyes darted around, searching for anything I could use to defend myself while trying to make out the person's features.

A low grunt reached my ears.

Then came a deep, magnetic voice.

"My name is Lucien."

The figure stepped forward slowly.

Even through my haze, the rich timbre of his voice was impossible to ignore.

"Lucien?" I repeated.

He gave a small nod.

As he moved closer, my gaze landed on his chest.

Broad shoulders.

A perfectly tailored suit.

An intimidating physique.

For a brief moment, I forgot my situation entirely.

"Damn..." I muttered under my breath.

The world tilted again.

I stumbled backward until my shoulders met the cold concrete wall.

My head was spinning. Between the champagne I'd shared with my best friend, Chloe, and the emotional wreckage of today, I wasn't exactly thinking straight.

"Why did you stop me?" I demanded.

A faint smirk appeared on his lips.

"I know I'm good-looking," he said casually. "You can stop staring."

I blinked.

Then frowned.

The arrogance.

Just seconds ago I had been admiring him.

Now I wanted to throw something at his head.

"Who do you think you are?" I shot back.

At that exact moment, the flickering security light above us finally stabilized.

My eyes widened.

The blood drained from my face.

No wonder the voice sounded familiar.

Standing before me wasn't a stranger.

It was my boss.

Lucien Ashford.

The very man responsible for ruining my day.

Questions flooded my mind.

What was he doing here?

How had he found me?

And why of all people did it have to be him?

Earlier that morning, Lucien had fired me over a ridiculous technicality—two extra minutes on my lunch break.

Two minutes.

Never mind the fact that he had been the reason for the delay.

After four years of loyalty.

After sacrificing opportunities for my career.

After staying by his side during a difficult period when he refused to let his family know he was ill.

None of it mattered.

I had been discarded like I was nothing.

"Serena."

His sharp voice snapped me back to reality.

"What are you doing here?"

I swallowed.

"I came with a friend," I replied. "We were having drinks."

He scoffed.

"Your friend must have expensive tastes."

His gaze swept over me.

"Because I know you couldn't afford a place like this on your own."

There it was.

The familiar cruelty.

I forced a smile despite the irritation boiling inside me.

"We still have unfinished business," he said.

Before I could respond, he caught my wrist.

"Come with me."

I yanked my arm back the moment we entered a private lounge.

"Let go."

The door clicked shut behind us.

Lucien turned toward me.

"My offer still stands."

I froze.

"Can't you give me more time to think about it?" I asked quietly.

His expression hardened.

"You've already lost your job."

A dangerous calm entered his voice.

"And I can make things much more difficult if I choose."

My friend Chloe had insisted I accept his proposal.

I hadn't listened.

Everything had become complicated after one reckless night and a series of misunderstandings neither of us seemed capable of forgetting. Since then, Lucien's attention had become impossible to ignore, and the situation between us had grown increasingly tangled.

"How am I supposed to agree to something like this?" I asked.

Lucien exhaled sharply.

The intensity in his gaze made it difficult to look away.

"Don't refuse me, Serena."

I closed my eyes.

If life were fair, the answer would have been simple.

But life wasn't fair.

Earlier that day, my younger brother had called. His tuition payment was overdue. Without money, he would have to leave school.

The thought weighed heavily on my chest.

Then Chloe's voice echoed in my mind.

"Stop treating your heart like it's locked away in a museum. Maybe someone like Lucien can actually make you happy."

I hated that her words still lingered.

"I..." My voice trembled.

Lucien waited.

Finally, I nodded.

"I'll consider it."

Relief flashed across his face before he quickly concealed it.

A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

For the first time that evening, he seemed almost human.

Without another word, he crossed the room and retrieved a bottle from a cabinet.

The lounge was elegant and surprisingly private.

Despite working for him for years, I had never seen this place before.

A shiver ran through me.

The room was colder than I expected.

I curled up slightly on the sofa.

"It's freezing in here," I murmured.

Lucien glanced at me.

A moment later, he removed his suit jacket and draped it over my shoulders.

The gesture caught me off guard.

"Thank you."

He poured a drink into a crystal glass and handed it to me.

As I took a cautious sip, my gaze drifted toward him.

The sleeves of his white shirt were rolled up.

The fabric stretched across broad shoulders and powerful arms.

I immediately looked away.

What was wrong with me?

I was supposed to be miserable.

Not noticing how attractive my former boss looked under dim lighting.

"You've been staring a lot tonight."

His amused voice made me nearly choke on my drink.

"I have not."

"Of course."

The sarcasm was impossible to miss.

I rolled my eyes.

He chuckled softly.

The sound surprised me.

Lucien Ashford rarely laughed.

The silence that followed felt strangely comfortable.

Outside, city lights glittered beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows.

For a moment, neither of us spoke.

Then Lucien's expression softened.

"Whatever foolish decision brought you to that rooftop tonight," he said quietly, "don't do it again."

The sincerity in his voice caught me completely off guard.

I looked up.

His eyes held none of the arrogance I was used to.

Only concern.

Real concern.

The realization unsettled me.

Because it would have been easier to hate him.

Much easier.

Instead, for the first time since he walked into my life, I found myself wondering if there was more to Lucien Ashford than the cold, demanding billionaire everyone believed him to be.

And somehow, that thought was far more dangerous than anything else.