C5 – LIKE I'VE BEEN CRAVING

Lucy set the phone down on the table, but her hand was trembling slightly. She felt a weight in her chest, as if every decision she made was sinking her deeper into ground she couldn't control.

Still, there was no turning back now.

And when she turned, Eros's eyes were already on her—those gray eyes that seemed to read every one of her secrets.

"Did you send the message?" he asked, approaching with firm, almost feline steps.

She nodded.

Heat rose to her face, though she wasn't sure if it was from nerves or because his presence filled the room in a way that made her feel vulnerable.

"Yes, I did."

Eros stopped a step away from her and then tilted his head slightly, scanning her without touching.

"I don't see why you had to tell him anything. You said your family wouldn't help you."

The proximity made her mouth go dry, but she forced herself to focus on the words, not on the way he made her feel.

"Aaron is different. He cares about me. It's best if I talk to him and put his mind at ease."

Eros nodded, but his eyes never left hers. Suddenly, his hand rose slowly, and the brush of his fingers against Lucy's cheek was like an electric shock.

It wasn't an innocent gesture. It was deliberate. Provocative.

Lucy held her breath, feeling her body tense—not just from fear, but from something far more unsettling. Something she didn't want him to notice... but that he'd surely already felt.

"You're trembling, chérie (darling)," he murmured, his lips dangerously close to hers. "Is it because of me?"

She stepped back just half a step, but that didn't break the spell. He kept enveloping her. And she felt she should pull away... but another part of her—darker, hungrier—begged her to stay right there.

And out of nowhere, the name came back to her: Ezra.

And with it, guilt and shame.

She clenched her teeth, looking away, as if that could extinguish what was happening between them.

"So..." she said, trying to break that strange connection, "you still haven't explained how this whole pretending-to-be-your-wife thing works. And why."

He stepped back slowly, walking toward his desk, and lit a cigar with measured, almost choreographed movements. Every gesture seemed calculated to destabilize her.

"I suppose we can speak plainly, can't we? You already know how this business works."

Lucy nodded, trying not to think about what was burning beneath her skin—that pull, that inexplicable need she couldn't ignore. Good God, he was her brother-in-law.

"There's a secret society," Eros said, releasing the smoke slowly. "Only the most powerful are in it. But there's a rule: every member must be married."

He looked at her right as the smoke drew a haze between them.

"And well... my brother got to you first."

Lucy frowned.

"What are you saying? That you already knew about me?"

Eros gave her a smile that seemed designed to throw her off balance.

"Only from a photo, chérie (darling). You think I didn't know about my brother's movements?"

She crossed her arms, but it wasn't enough to shield her from the intensity of his gaze. He took another drag from his cigar, and every second of tension seemed to stretch without respite.

"The point is, since you're here, you're useful to me. I help you, you help me. But I need you to play your part well. To look believable. To be Eros Dervishi's loving wife."

Lucy's heart skipped a beat. Just the idea of pretending to be in love with him disarmed her.

"A-and they don't know about my marriage to Ezra?"

"My brother is a pathetic excuse for a boss," he said, with disdain. "All he knows how to do is shoot and run his mouth. Don't worry about that—just play your part well."

Lucy nodded slowly.

"Alright, so... I'm your wife, I act like it, and... what else?"

Eros raised an eyebrow and let out a low chuckle, as if he were on the verge of saying something indecent.

"What's wrong, chérie (darling)? Thinking about sex? Want to share a bed with your brother-in-law?"

Lucy's cheeks heated up instantly. She didn't know if it was from his boldness or how close he'd come to the truth.

"No!" she exclaimed. "I... I didn't mean that. I meant what happens after... when all of this is over."

He clicked his tongue, seeming disappointed by her answer.

"You'll leave, and we'll never see each other again. Of course, I'll give you a considerable sum of money. Enough for you to start over, far from everything."

Lucy clenched her hands. Something inside her twisted at those words.

"That won't be necessary. I have my own money."

"Either way, you'll take the money," he said, stepping closer again and cutting through her with his gaze. "I don't like owing anyone for their services."

She looked at him with a mix of anger and something she didn't know how to name. She wished she had the courage to slap him across the face... but instead, what she felt was something far more dangerous.

Maybe a sick attraction she didn't want to acknowledge?

"The reason I'm here is because Ezra is afraid of you. That's the only thing that matters to me about you. So don't treat me like I'm one of those women who offer you their services—got it?"

Eros studied her for a long moment, and for the first time, he didn't smile.

There was something about her that challenged him, that kept him on edge. And inside, that tension felt delicious. But he wouldn't admit it.

"Alright, since everything's clear, let's talk about the second step."

"Second step?"

Eros didn't answer immediately. He closed the distance between them until only a few inches remained. Lucy felt her heart pound hard against her chest.

"The second step..." he whispered, his fingers lightly brushing the strand of hair that fell across her face, "is convincing everyone that we're deeply in love."

The way he said it—the slow, low cadence of his voice, the light brush of his skin against hers—it was like a thread of fire racing through her body. Lucy stepped back a little, just a step, but Eros didn't let her get far. He raised his hand and placed it against the wall, right next to her head, trapping her between his body and the wood.

"And how are we supposed to do that?" she murmured, hating that her voice came out so low, so shaky.

Eros tilted his head, his lips mere centimeters from hers. The heat in her stomach spread like lightning.

"We're going to rehearse," he murmured. "Every look, every touch, every gesture. When you're with me, you're mine. Do you understand?"

The word mine echoed in her chest, and her pulse quickened. She wanted to answer firmly, to tell him that wasn't part of the deal, that he couldn't control her the way Ezra had... but her body betrayed her. Because against every instinct, she wanted to feel what he was promising.

"This is insane," she whispered, barely audible.

Eros raised an eyebrow, and with a slow movement, let his fingers trace her jawline, trailing down her neck to graze her collarbone. It wasn't a vulgar gesture, but it was intimate enough to leave her breathless.

"It is," he said. "But insanity often yields good results... if you know how to handle it."

Lucy clenched her teeth. She had to regain control—she couldn't let him envelop her with that raspy voice and that unshakable confidence. But it was hard. So hard.

"So... are you going to kiss me in front of everyone too? Touch me like I'm...?"

She didn't finish the sentence. She couldn't. The way he was looking at her had already answered.

"Of course," Eros replied, his voice low and sure. "I'm going to touch you. I'm going to look at you the way a man looks at his woman. And you're going to reciprocate. You're going to look at me with desire. You're going to make everyone believe you love me. That you can't stand to be away from me."

Lucy felt her legs weaken from fear.

"What if I don't know how?"

"Then I'll teach you," his voice was sweet poison, and before she saw it coming, he was closer, his lips dangerously hovering over hers. "Last chance, little one. The deal is on the table... but you can still back out. Once you say yes, you're mine, and there's no turning back. Do you understand what that means?"

Lucy felt the air thicken between them, her heart racing as she weighed the weight of his words. The silence stretched for a few seconds that felt like eternity, until her lips parted to whisper:

"Yes."

Eros's eyes gleamed with a dangerous spark, and a slow, satisfied smile spread across his lips as his hand slid to the nape of Lucy's neck, his fingers threading through her hair.

"Then let's seal this agreement."

"How?" she gasped, feeling the air leave her lungs at his closeness.

"Like I've been craving since you walked in."

And without further preamble, he captured her lips in a kiss.