Page 9 of King of Rage

When morning came, Stella slowly woke, the overwhelming sensations that had consumed her throughout the night having finally faded. The intensity of it all had left her dazed, and at some point, she had drifted into unconsciousness without even realizing it.

She blinked against the brightness and glanced around.

She was in a bedroom. The curtains were drawn across the windows, but enough sunlight filtered through to fill the room, making it far brighter than the darkness that had surrounded her the night before.

However, the light wasn’t what had woken her.

Soft lips moved over her shoulder and neck, kissing and teasing her skin. The gentle press of his mouth, followed by the occasional graze of his teeth, sent a tremor through her body. Her back stiffened slightly when a familiar sensation raced from her neck down to her core.

Then, all at once, she realized it hadn’t been a dream.

She was in bed with Lucius.

Another bite landed on her shoulder, and Stella turned her head slightly. The moment her eyes met his, she found them burning with an intense, unmistakable hunger.

Her body immediately responded to him, becoming a slave to his touch and the heated look in his eyes. He didn’t need to say a word. The intensity of his gaze was enough to tell her that everything that had happened the night before had been real.

Her heart began to pound.

A year had passed since she broke up with Lucius. Yet somehow, she had woken up in his bed once again.

When Lucius noticed that she was fully awake and saw her eyes settle on him, his hand rose to her face. His fingers cupped her cheek, and his thumb brushed over her skin with surprising tenderness.

He leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to her lips before pulling back.

“Does it hurt? Should I order some medicine?” he asked in a deep, gentle voice.

As he spoke, his hand slipped from her face to her jaw, then continued down the side of her neck to her chest. From there, his fingers settled around her waist before his palm came to rest against her hip, his thumb moving over the spot in careful, soothing strokes.

“I’m sorry I was too rough last night. I lost control,” he murmured, his voice soft with regret.

Before Stella could respond, Lucius lowered his head and kissed her shoulder, his lips following the curve of her neckline. The familiar scent of his skin and the warmth of his breath surrounded her, pulling at memories she had spent a year trying to bury.

He smelled exactly the same.

That familiar scent. That familiar touch. Everything about him felt dangerously easy to remember.

And then the truth hit her.

Last night hadn’t been some drunken dream.

She had slept with Lucius.

Her ex-boyfriend. The man she had left a year ago.

Only yesterday, she had returned to Manhattan after spending an entire year in London. She had barely been back for a day, yet somehow, she had already ended up in his bed.

What the hell was going on?

Stella abruptly pulled away and sat upright. She snatched the covers and pulled them to her chest, holding the sheet firmly in place before turning toward him. Whatever confusion had filled her moments ago was quickly replaced by a guarded expression.

“Mr. Frost, did you forget your own rule?”

Lucius sat up beside her, watching her closely.

“You said that once we ended our relationship, we would become strangers. If we ever broke up, there would be no contact between us afterward. Have you forgotten that?”

Her voice was strained, but her expression remained cool and stern.