Chapter 259

But Lucas stood his ground. “I don’t believe you.”

“What is there not to believe?” Aurora frowned, her brows drawing together. She couldn’t believe Lucas was actually being this childish.

He met her gaze, dead serious. “Unless you kiss me.”

Aurora’s eyes widened, completely stunned that such a ridiculous line had just come out of Lucas’ mouth. Was this really the same man she knew?

“You… you’re serious?”

Lucas looked into her startled eyes. Was she embarrassed? Maybe. But with her so close, the temptation was too strong to resist, and if it meant getting what he wanted, he wasn’t above playing a little dirty.

He nodded solemnly. “Dead serious.”

To prove his point, he even leaned in slightly, presenting his perfectly chiseled face with the solemnity of a man making a life-or-death request.

Aurora felt the pressure of his hand around her wrist. Resigned, she gave in and pressed a quick, messy kiss to the corner of his lips without even looking.

“There. Happy? Now let me go, I need to change.”

Lucas could still feel the soft brush of her lips lingering on his skin. If he was being honest, that barely considered a kiss. But seeing how flustered she was, he knew better than to push further.

He slowly released her wrist. The moment she was free, Aurora instinctively crossed her arms over her chest and stepped away from him, putting as much distance as she could between them.

“I must not know you at all. I didn’t think you were this shameless,” she said with a scowl.

Lucas lifted his lips into a smug smile. “What’s wrong with a little shamelessness, if it means I get to kiss my wife?”

“You…” Aurora balled her hands into fists, speechless for once. “Whatever.”

With that, she spun on her heel and hurried off to get dressed. It wasn’t until she had slipped into a full set of long sleeves and pants that she finally felt like she could breathe again.

Lucas shook his head with a helpless smile. Was his Rora really guarding herself like he was some kind of predator? She was honestly too easy to tease. He couldn’t help but grumble silently to himself.

Grabbing his clothes, he headed to the bathroom for a shower. By the time he stepped back out, Aurora was already fast asleep, curled up under the covers, her breathing soft and even.

Lucas stood by the bed for a moment, quietly watching her serene profile. A wave of warmth filled his chest. When would his Rora finally open her heart to him, fully and without reservation? He let out a soft sigh.

No matter, he had all the patience in the world. As long as she was the one at the end of the road, that was enough.

Moving gently, he slipped under the blanket. With one careful motion, he stretched out his arm and wrapped it around her, drawing her into his embrace. Once she was nestled against him, he rested his chin lightly atop her head, brushing it in a slow, affectionate motion.

Only then did it feel like something in his chest had finally settled. Wrapped in that quiet closeness, the world faded away. His arms tightened just slightly around her, and in that moment, Lucas felt like he was holding the entire world.

The next morning, Aurora’s lashes fluttered open. The first thing she saw was a wall of warmth and bare skin. Still groggy, she wrinkled her nose in annoyance. Then, she realized what she was looking at.

It was a man’s chest.

Startled, she shoved Lucas away. “Why are you here?”

Lucas’ sleepy gaze held a flicker of irritation at being disturbed, but it vanished the second he met her eyes.

“This is our room,” he said lazily. “If I’m not here, where else would I be?”

He watched her with amused curiosity, waiting to see how she’d respond. Aurora blinked a few times, her mind slowly clearing. Then it came back to her—the shower, the towel, everything that had happened after.

She’d been exhausted, and in the blur of it all, she must’ve fallen asleep the moment she hit the bed.