Chapter 63
Chapter 63
VENUS
The dining room was a cathedral of elegance-arched windows kissing the ceiling, a chandelier dripping with crystal like a thousand frozen teardrops, and a table long enough to host a royal inquisition. I took my seat beside Aaron, hyper-aware of the heat still lingering on my lips… and the silence that followed after.
The first to arrive was Sabine.
She walked in like she owned the floor-the house, even. Her navy silk dress clung to her like it was part of her skin, heels tapping softly against marble, chin high and smile effortless. She didn’t just move through the space… she commanded it.
“Rosemary!” she called warmly, crossing the room with arms already open.
Rosemary lit up like the sun. “Sabine, darling p>
The hug that followed was long, familiar. Intimate.
“Look at you,” Rosemary cooed, pulling back. “More stunning every time I see you p>
“You’re the one aging backwards,” Sabine grinned. “Seriously, I need your skincare routine. That serum from France or are you just living well p>
They laughed.
They weren’t just close.
They were close.
And I… was an outsider watching a reunion through glass.
Sabine slid into the seat across from me, her eyes flicking over to mine with a small smile.
And then-Connor walked in.
Cool, calm, and arrogant in that way that made women either roll their eyes or fall for him. He wore a suit like it was a second skin and a smirk like a secret.
“Afternoon,” he said casually, his hand brushing Sabine’s shoulder as he moved past her.
Nobody caught that-but I did.
Sabine didn’t blink. Didn’t flinch.
Just turned to him, voice like silk. “Connor p>
“Sabine p>
Like they hadn’t been pressed against each other days ago, tangled in lust and whispers. Like his mouth hadn’t claimed hers like it meant something.
I narrowed my eyes.
Really?
She gave me a look. Calm. Controlled.
Later.
Fine.
“Connor!” Rosemary smiled wide as he approached.
“My sweet, sweet Rosemary,” he said with a grin, bending to kiss her cheek. “I missed you. Aaron’s been nothing but sour to me lately p>
Everyone laughed. Even Aaron’s lips twitched.
The attention turned toward him as he leaned in slightly, voice smoother now. “How was the trip?” he asked, directing the question at Rosemary and Silas.
“A whirlwind,” Rosemary replied, lifting her wineglass. “Uzbekistan was… surprisingly charming. But Alanna missed you. terribly p>
She joins them during holidays, Aaron told me last night. The rest of the year she stays with Silas’s ex-wife. And right on cue, Alanna wriggled closer to Aaron in her chair her tiny hand curling around his arm possessively.
Successfully unlocked!
“I told you I wanted to sit next to Ronny,” she pouted at Silas, eyes narrowed like a mini monarch.
“You did,” Silas said, laughing under his breath. “And I told you he spoils you far too much p>
1/2
Chapter 63
Aaron chuckled, ruffling her soft curls. “She’s got me wrapped around her little finger. Nothing I can do about it p>
It was… adorable.
Watching his edges soften like that, seeing how instinctively he responded to her-it was disarming. And sweet. The Aaron I knew was ice and steel. This one? This one was warmth wrapped in reluctant affection.
And I hated how much I liked it.
Lunch started. Rosemary told stories from their travels-markets in Tashkent, an old mosque turned art gallery. Silas tossed in dry, understated jokes that made everyone chuckle. Connor and Sabine remained… polite. Cordial. Too professional.
The space between them was thick with all the things they weren’t saying.
And I was just beginning to forget the burn between my thighs and the kiss still haunting my mouth when a maid stepped into the room.
She leaned close to whisper something into Rosemary’s ear.
Rosemary blinked. “Oh p>
Aaron turned slightly. “What is it p>
“Someone else just arrived,” Rosemary said, smoothing her napkin with a half-smile.
Sabine tilted her head. “Who p>
But before Rosemary could answer, the double doors creaked open.
And there she was.
Andrea.
Her heels tapped gently against the marble floor. Her presence was quiet-but piercing. A tailored black outfit, lips the shade of crushed wine, and a calm, poised smile like she’d walked straight out of a scandal and landed here just to stir
another.
Aaron’s jaw flexed, his body going still beside me.
Connor stiffened, wine glass paused halfway to his lips.
Sabine blinked, but said nothing.
And me?
I watched.
Because the second Andrea entered, the atmosphere shifted-like someone had cracked open a sealed box of secrets and
let them breathe.
She tilted her head slightly.
“Hope I’m not late p>
No one answered.
And just like that, the storm had arrived.
2/2
Ruby Walker
Ruby Walker is a rising voice in the world of romance and spicy fiction. With a gift for weaving deep emotions, sizzling chemistry, and unexpected twists, her stories are a blend of passion and drama that captivate readers from start to finish. Ruby’s writing style is bold and irresistible—perfect for those who crave intense, addictive love stories.