welled up in her eyes and she quickly pushed herself from the table and crossed to the opened window. She stood on the other side of the curtain to put somewhat of a veil between herself and Draken.
She couldn’t have imagined that the revelation of Warren’s true abandonment would affect her so deeply. Even worse, she was in the home of his enemy, who would offer no solace to her wounds from Warren.
As she tried to collect herself, Draken approached, pulling the sheer curtain to one side he stood closely behind her. She could feel his breath on her hair and the rise and fall of his muscled chest against her back.
“Just when I think you’ve got me convinced that there truly exists no intimate relationship between you and Warren, your feelings prove to me otherwise.”
She spun on him, angry and hurt, “Why? Because it hurts me that someone I thought was my friend isn’t. Because when I almost died the only person on the face of the earth who cared was a stranger? I’m not sad because Warren doesn’t love me Draken, I’m sad because I wasted my friendship on someone who didn’t return it. I’m angry because I feel like an idiot,” she gritted out as warm tears rolled down her cheeks. “You don’t know what it’s like for me. At least you have Nikolai and for a time you had your parents and Arabella. I’ve been alone my whole damn life. My mother gave me up when I was a baby and when I turned 16 I ran away from the foster home I was in. With Warren I thought I found a friend, and with team Cutlass I thought I found a family, a place I belonged, a place that wanted me, but I didn’t and they didn’t.
They preyed on my weakness, my desire to belong somewhere, and I was the idiot that was too blind to see. Too blind to see I was being used by them, and too blind to see that I was being used by you to get back at them. So you and Warren can both go to hell for treating me like I’m a pawn in your damn hatred for each other. I don’t know what happened between the two of you and I don’t care, I just don’t want to be a part of it anymore. You had no right to call Callisto, my life has nothing to do with you, and you have no right to take away my ability to make a living.”
She brushed past him attempting to storm away, but he grabbed her by the arm and turned her to face him.
“Hey”, he said softly, dipping his head in an attempt to get her to meet his gaze.
Before looking up, she used her free hand to swipe the tears from her cheeks. When her eyes finally met his she could see sincere concern in his expression. “What’s wrong? What’s really going on here?” He asked in the same soft tone.
Lucia sighed heavily before looking away as she explained with fresh emotion choking her, “It’s you, and it’s this place. I came here to tell you off, to tell you to stay out of my life, and I end up staying for dinner.”
“So you’re upset with the dinner?” he teased.
“No,” she exclaimed laughing through her tears, “I loved dinner, I love it here, and that’s the problem… I shouldn’t. I try to hate it here and I try to hate you, but I can’t. You never believe anything I say, you’ve ruined my chance at buying a new car, you’re keeping me from making a living, and you’re constantly holding me captive in this wickedly beautiful manor. But I can’t bring myself to despise you enough to hate any of it.”
His strong fingers gently lifted her chin so she would again meet his gaze. She saw his smile fade and an intensity take over his expression. His fingers moved from her chin as he firmly grasped the back of her neck and harshly pulled her body into his.
Her heart began to race as she stared up at his angry expression. She placed both hands on his chest and attempted to push away just as his free arm wrapped around her waist and locked her struggling body in place. “What are you doing?” she
She couldn’t have imagined that the revelation of Warren’s true abandonment would affect her so deeply. Even worse, she was in the home of his enemy, who would offer no solace to her wounds from Warren.
As she tried to collect herself, Draken approached, pulling the sheer curtain to one side he stood closely behind her. She could feel his breath on her hair and the rise and fall of his muscled chest against her back.
“Just when I think you’ve got me convinced that there truly exists no intimate relationship between you and Warren, your feelings prove to me otherwise.”
She spun on him, angry and hurt, “Why? Because it hurts me that someone I thought was my friend isn’t. Because when I almost died the only person on the face of the earth who cared was a stranger? I’m not sad because Warren doesn’t love me Draken, I’m sad because I wasted my friendship on someone who didn’t return it. I’m angry because I feel like an idiot,” she gritted out as warm tears rolled down her cheeks. “You don’t know what it’s like for me. At least you have Nikolai and for a time you had your parents and Arabella. I’ve been alone my whole damn life. My mother gave me up when I was a baby and when I turned 16 I ran away from the foster home I was in. With Warren I thought I found a friend, and with team Cutlass I thought I found a family, a place I belonged, a place that wanted me, but I didn’t and they didn’t.
They preyed on my weakness, my desire to belong somewhere, and I was the idiot that was too blind to see. Too blind to see I was being used by them, and too blind to see that I was being used by you to get back at them. So you and Warren can both go to hell for treating me like I’m a pawn in your damn hatred for each other. I don’t know what happened between the two of you and I don’t care, I just don’t want to be a part of it anymore. You had no right to call Callisto, my life has nothing to do with you, and you have no right to take away my ability to make a living.”
She brushed past him attempting to storm away, but he grabbed her by the arm and turned her to face him.
“Hey”, he said softly, dipping his head in an attempt to get her to meet his gaze.
Before looking up, she used her free hand to swipe the tears from her cheeks. When her eyes finally met his she could see sincere concern in his expression. “What’s wrong? What’s really going on here?” He asked in the same soft tone.
Lucia sighed heavily before looking away as she explained with fresh emotion choking her, “It’s you, and it’s this place. I came here to tell you off, to tell you to stay out of my life, and I end up staying for dinner.”
“So you’re upset with the dinner?” he teased.
“No,” she exclaimed laughing through her tears, “I loved dinner, I love it here, and that’s the problem… I shouldn’t. I try to hate it here and I try to hate you, but I can’t. You never believe anything I say, you’ve ruined my chance at buying a new car, you’re keeping me from making a living, and you’re constantly holding me captive in this wickedly beautiful manor. But I can’t bring myself to despise you enough to hate any of it.”
His strong fingers gently lifted her chin so she would again meet his gaze. She saw his smile fade and an intensity take over his expression. His fingers moved from her chin as he firmly grasped the back of her neck and harshly pulled her body into his.
Her heart began to race as she stared up at his angry expression. She placed both hands on his chest and attempted to push away just as his free arm wrapped around her waist and locked her struggling body in place. “What are you doing?” she
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