Chapter 913

Rosalind gasped as a sharp pain shot through her abdomen. Her delicate features twisted in discomfort.

Lucian loomed above her, his warm breath ghosting over her neck as he whispered, "This is what you deserve."

Without hesitation, she bit down hard on his muscular shoulder.

A predatory gleam flashed in Lucian's dark eyes as he effortlessly restrained her wrists, disregarding her feeble struggles.

Rosalind couldn't comprehend how they'd fallen back into this familiar dance - two people who should have moved on, yet their bodies remembered every intimate detail as if no time had passed.

And he had just returned from an evening with Vivian.

A dull ache pulsed through her core, a cruel reminder of the precious life growing within her. The first trimester was far too delicate for such roughness. "You're going too fast - you're hurting me!"

Gentleness was the last thing on Lucian's mind. Not after the emotional games she'd played. The entire car ride home, he'd fantasized about this exact revenge.

"Then suffer through it," he rasped, his voice thick with barely restrained desire.

Rosalind's porcelain skin paled noticeably. "Please - I mean it. Stop."

At first he ignored her pleas, but the way her breathing turned shallow gave him pause. Cradling her face, he searched her eyes. "Where does it hurt?"

"My stomach," she admitted through clenched teeth.

Lucian's gaze dropped to her still-flat midsection. "Liar. Why would your stomach hurt?"

"I'm telling the truth! I-"

She nearly confessed her pregnancy but swallowed the words. It wasn't the right moment.

FURAL EN 1/4

His fingers traced hypnotic circles along her waistline. "What's wrong with your stomach?"

Then realization dawned.

A knowing look crossed his handsome features. "Your stomach..."

Did he suspect?

Panicked, Rosalind tried to cover herself. "It's nothing!"

Lucian frowned. "Have you been eating more lately?"

She nearly choked on air. Seriously? That was his brilliant deduction?

"You're the one who's gained weight!" she snapped. "I'm exactly the same!"

The indignant fire in her voice made his lips twitch. So much for maintaining his anger - she always managed to disarm him.

"Fine," he conceded, relaxing his grip. "I'll go easier on you."

"No, just let me go!"

"Rosalind," he warned, "I'm already compromising. If you'd prefer I don't hold back-"

"Okay, okay!" she yelped. "Just...be careful."

Lucian's smirk deepened. "That's what I thought."

When his lips crashed against hers, Rosalind knew escape was impossible. Worse still, her treacherous body responded eagerly, just as it always had. She still craved him - heart, body and soul.

But the baby...

With sudden determination, she flipped their positions, straddling him confidently.

Lucian gripped her hips, eyes darkening with amusement. "What's this?"

"I like being in charge," she declared.

The memory struck him like lightning - their first time in that tiny dorm room, her boldness guiding them both through their inexperience until they shattered together.

Perhaps that's why he could never truly let her go. Rosalind wasn't just any woman to him. She was his greatest weakness and his most exhilarating high.

With a husky chuckle, he pulled her down. "Have it your way, darling."