Chapter 18

Aurora couldn’t take it anymore and quickly cut Megan off.

“Alright, alright, I got it! Hanging up now!”

Before Megan could respond, she ended the call.

Then it hit her.

Lucas heard everything Megan had just said.

She suddenly felt like she couldn’t even look at him.

However, Lucas didn’t press further. He simply watched her with a knowing smile, his amusement clear.

Aurora needed a drink to calm her down. She pushed him aside and sat up, straightening her slightly disheveled clothes. Trying to maintain her composure, she reached for the water on the table and took a sip, hoping it would cool the heat rising in her face.

Lucas watched her with growing amusement, his gaze deepening. Then, he stood and stepped closer, leaning down until they were at eye level.

“Why is your face so red?”

Aurora’s heartbeat pounded in her ears. Avoiding his gaze, she frantically searched for something—anything—to focus on. Her eyes landed on a magazine sitting on the coffee table.

“Must be the temperature in here,” she muttered, picking up the magazine. “I’ll just read for a bit… reading before bed is good for the brain.”

Lucas chuckled, the sparkle in his eyes growing even more pronounced. But he didn’t push her further. Instead, he casually settled onto the couch beside her, as if nothing had happened. He picked up his phone, scrolling through messages and handling work, completely at ease.

The room grew quiet, with only the faint hum of the air conditioner breaking the silence. Aurora stole a glance at him. He was fully focused on his phone, his sharp features illuminated by the warm glow of the lamp. Even while working, he was effortlessly captivating.

Aurora couldn’t help but replay Megan’s words in her mind. Then, her gaze drifted back to the man in front of her—broad shoulders, a lean waist, and long, well-proportioned legs. Every movement he made exuded the quiet confidence of a man fully in control. Her heartbeat started racing again, completely out of her control.

As if sensing her stare, Lucas lifted his head, catching her in the act. Their eyes met—hers flustered, his unreadable. He put his phone down and leaned in slightly, closing the space between them. His warm breath brushed against her cheek, carrying the faint scent of tobacco and something unmistakably him. “Don’t look at me like that,” he murmured, his deep, velvety voice laced with danger. “Or I might not be able to stop myself from kissing you.”

Aurora felt her breath hitch. She instinctively tried to pull back, but before she could move, he caught her wrist and pulled her into his arms.

“If you’re not going to say anything,” he whispered, his voice husky against her ear. “Then I’ll take that as permission.”

Then, his lips met hers—slow, deep, and utterly consuming, as if he intended to strip away every last bit of her self-control.

“Lucas, when you said you wanted to pursue me, was it really just because of physical attraction? Can you tell me the truth?”

Lucas’ arms tightened around her waist, trapping her between him and the couch. His gaze burned into her, intense enough to melt her completely.

“It’s love at first sight.”

Aurora’s mind went blank, her senses overtaken by his warmth, his presence, and his breath against her skin. So, besides being a shameless flirt… Lucas Carter was also dangerously smooth? For some reason, hearing “love at first sight” from his lips struck something deep inside her. She closed her eyes, surrendering to his touch, sinking into the warmth of his embrace…

The next morning when Aurora woke, the space beside her was already empty. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she pushed back the silk sheets and sat up. Her fingers instinctively brushed against her lips—still slightly swollen, still carrying the lingering traces of Lucas’ breath, a mix of tobacco and cool mint. And then, she remembered his words from the night before.

“It’s love at first sight.”

Her heartbeat quickened all over again. Did he really fall for her at first sight? But Megan once mentioned that Lucas had someone he loved for years. Aurora’s mood sank. This wasn’t something she could just ask him outright. What if Lucas’s so-called love at first sight was nothing more than physical attraction?

Shaking off her thoughts, she got up and went to wash up. After getting ready, she walked into the living room, only to stop in her tracks at the sight before her.

Lucas stood in the kitchen, dressed in a perfectly tailored suit with a pink apron tied over it. It was the same apron she bought when she moved in. He was busy cooking, one hand holding a spatula, the other scrolling through his phone, seemingly following a recipe. Noticing her, he turned around, a faint smile playing at his lips.

“You’re up? Come eat breakfast.”

He set his phone aside and walked toward her. Aurora’s heart started racing again as she found herself face-to-face with him, far too close for comfort. She quickly averted her gaze. “You know how to cook?”

“A little,” Lucas replied casually before turning back to the stove. “I made toast and fried eggs. Do you want anything else?”

“Anything’s fine.”

Aurora sat at the dining table, but her eyes kept drifting toward him. There was something strangely domestic about him in that apron.