Lucas POV
The words left my mouth like a verdict.
Low. Firm. Absolute. There was no room for argument, no space for negotiation. I had made my decision, and she would obey.
She froze.
I watched the shock ripple through her—the way her breath caught, the way her eyes searched my face desperately, clawing for any crack in my composure, any hint that this was some cruel joke. But there was nothing. Not a flicker of amusement. Not a trace of mockery.
I was done pretending.
I wanted her. I wanted Maya. And I had spent far too long choking on the lie that I didn’t.
For years, I had watched her from the shadows. I had watched her laugh with Caleb, cry over Caleb, destroy herself for Caleb. I had watched her choose him over and over again, and I had told myself it didn’t matter. I had told myself I was fine with being invisible.
But I wasn’t fine. I had never been fine.
And then she stormed into my study dressed like a sin I hadn’t committed yet. Speak of the devil, and she shall appear. What perfect timing.
She licked her lips, tugging at the deep neckline of her dress, trying to cover herself. It did nothing. The fabric betrayed her with every movement. The low cut framed her breasts, pushing them up, leaving them completely bare to my gaze. The dress clung to her hips like it was afraid to let go. Every inch of her was on display, and she had no idea what she was doing to me.
"Hah... I think I’m hearing things," she said, forcing a nervous laugh. "The fear’s messing with my head. For a moment, I thought I heard you tell me to get on my knees."
She laughed again. It died in her throat the moment her eyes met mine.
"Y-you’re serious?" she choked, her voice barely a whisper.
I tilted my head, studying her like she was something rare—something I hadn’t expected to find but now couldn’t look away from. The more I got close to this girl, the more she consumed me. Every time I thought I had her figured out, she did something unexpected. She was chaos wrapped in silk, and I was drowning in her.
"Maya..." My eyes flickered briefly to her chest.
She swallowed hard, clamping her legs together. "Yes?"
"Does it look like I’m joking?"
There was no need to raise my voice. I could already see her melting under my gaze. I observed every move, every reaction. The way her fingers trembled. The way her breath quickened. The way her body swayed toward me even as her mind screamed at her to run. Her body was betraying every logical decision she could have made. She had already submitted.
She shook her head.
"Then be good. Get on your knees."
I remained seated against the desk, legs parted slightly, watching her. She was captivating. Everything about her was. Her scent—something floral and warm that made my chest tighten. The way she moved—nervous, trembling, yet somehow defiant. Her eyes—green and wide, vulnerable and innocent. The way she shuddered under my touch. The taste of her that still lingered on my tongue from that night.
Slowly, she dropped to her knees.
I drank in the sight.
The moment her knees hit the carpet, her gaze dropped to the floor. She closed her eyes, turning her head away. Her cheeks flushed crimson. She was probably questioning every choice that had led her here. I could see the war raging inside her—the part of her that wanted to run, and the part of her that wanted to stay.
A slow smirk curved my lips.
I reached out, my fingers brushing against her chin. Soft. Firm. Tipping her face upward.
She gasped at the contact. Her eyes fluttered open. Green and wide and vulnerable, staring up at me like I was both her salvation and her ruin.
Her gaze dropped—straight to the bulge pressing against the fabric of my pants.
She froze. Her eyes lingered.
She swallowed.
Fuck. This girl is going to be the end of me.
If she kept staring at me like that, I wasn’t sure how long I could hold back. Every second she spent on her knees was another second of my control slipping. My hands ached to touch her. My body screamed to claim her. And she had no idea how close I was to breaking.
I ran a hand through my hair, forcing myself to stay in control. Then my hands found hers. I pulled her up from her knees. Before she could even think about relief—
Everything happened in a blur.
My arm caught her wrist. The other wrapped around her waist. I pressed her flat against the desk, her hands pinned above her head.
She gasped, shaking her head, coming back to reality. Wide-eyed. Speechless.
"I-I swear on my life, Lucas!" she sputtered, panic bleeding into her voice. "I wasn’t doing anything! I won’t come in here again, I won’t bother you, you won’t even see me! Just please let me go—"
I cut her off, leaning closer, my lips an inch from her ear. My breath ghosted over her skin.
"Maya," I murmured, voice low and rough. "Do you want me inside you?"
She froze beneath me. Her breath stuttered.
I stared down at her, my face unreadable. But inside—inside I was burning. I was being consumed by her, by the need to have her, and I could no longer hide it. I didn’t care what the aftermath would be. I knew just one thing: this woman, this strange, shy, clumsy, chaotic woman lying beneath me, pinned against my desk, was all I wanted. She was the only one who could silence the roar in my head.
Her eyes widened, searching mine for any hint of a joke. She even gave a small, awkward smile, clinging to denial. But when she realized I wasn’t joking, her smile faded.
"W-What?" she whispered, voice trembling. "Lucas, I..."
I leaned in closer. "I made you feel things you never thought you were capable of. My fingers were extremely skilled."
Her eyes blew wide with recognition. She gasped.
"What else? Ah, the way I touched you—it was as if I knew you better than you knew yourself."
I studied her face, then leaned back just enough to meet her eyes fully. "You said it. At the end of your little argument with my brother, I believe your words were: you have someone, and that someone is not him."
She paled.
"And I assume I’m that someone, Maya?" I tilted my head, my lips twitching with dark amusement.
I had gone to check on her that night. I had seen the marks on her body, the state she was in. I knew she wasn’t telling the truth when she said nothing happened. So I went through the surveillance footage. I hadn’t expected what I found.
I didn’t know Caleb and Maya had issues. It was clear now why she kept avoiding him. Caleb had cheated on her with Kate and others. She had caught him in the act several times. That footage made several things clear. First, Maya no longer felt anything for Caleb. Second, she wasn’t going ahead with the engagement. Third, my father knew nothing about any of this.
But why did she make it seem like we were together, when we weren’t?
Was it to push him away?
She opened her mouth, then closed it again. Her eyes flickered everywhere but towards me. Her chest rose and fell with panicked breaths. Her lips trembled. I watched her, curious. All this time, she had been doing things I never expected—unpredictable, chaotic, the first person I couldn’t quite figure out. And the only person I’m drawn to.
I was interested to know what excuse she’d form.
She squeezed her eyes shut and blurted out:
"I—I have sexual fantasies about you, Lucas!"
I paused.
Well.
That I wasn’t expecting.