His Open Marriage, My Forbidden Secret

Chapter 8

The garden was quieter than the ballroom. Cooler. Lia could breathe out here, away from the suffocating crowd and Margaret's judgmental stares. Fairy lights twinkled in the trees overhead, casting soft shadows across the stone paths. The smell of roses hung heavy in the air.

Caspian stood in the shadows near a hedge, barely visible in his black tux. But she'd have known he was there even in complete darkness. She could feel him. That pull. That gravity between them that made no sense and every sense at the same time.

"You came," he said as she approached.

"I shouldn't have."

"But you did." He stepped forward, into the light. His eyes were dark. Hungry. "Two weeks, Lia. Two weeks of my people telling me where you are, what you're doing, who you're with. Do you know what that's been like? Knowing you're out there and I can't touch you?"

"You put those people on me. That was your choice."

"To keep you safe. Not to drive myself crazy." He moved closer. Too close. She should step back. She didn't. "But every report they send, all I can think about is that night. Your skin. Your mouth. The sounds you made when I touched you."

Heat flooded through her. "Caspian, stop."

"Why? Because it makes you uncomfortable? Or because you feel it too and it scares you?"

Both. It was both. Lia wrapped her arms around herself, trying to create some kind of barrier between them. "This can't happen again. It was one night. A mistake."

"You keep saying that." His voice was low. Dangerous. "Like if you say it enough times, it'll become true."

"It is true."

"Then why are you here?" He took another step. Now they were inches apart. She could smell his cologne. See the way his jaw clenched. "I told you to meet me. You could have ignored it. Gone home with your husband. Pretended I didn't exist. But you didn't. You came. Why?"

Lia didn't have an answer. Or she did, but she couldn't say it out loud. Couldn't admit that she'd been thinking about him constantly. That every night in her empty bed, she remembered his hands. His mouth. The way he'd made her feel alive for the first time in years.

"I don't know," she whispered.

"Liar." Caspian's hand came up, fingers brushing her jaw. The touch sent electricity through her entire body. "You know exactly why you're here. Same reason I crashed this boring party. Same reason I can't stop thinking about you even though I should. Even though you're married, this is complicated as hell."

"It's more than complicated. It's impossible."

"Nothing's impossible." His thumb traced her lower lip. She couldn't breathe. "I want you, Lia. Haven't stopped wanting you since that night. And I think you want me too."

She did. God help her, she did. Standing here in the garden with him this close, with his hand on her face and his eyes burning into hers, she wanted him more than she'd wanted anything in her entire life.

"This is insane," she said. But her voice shook. Betrayed her.

"I know." He leaned closer. His lips were an inch from hers. "Tell me to stop. Tell me you don't want this. I'll walk away right now."

She should. She knew she should. But the words wouldn't come. Instead, she grabbed the front of his tux and pulled him down to her.

The kiss was fire. Desperate and hungry and nothing like the polite dance they'd just shared in front of a hundred people. His hands went to her waist, yanking her against him. She gasped and he took advantage, his tongue sliding against hers. Tasting her. Claiming her.

Lia's back hit the wall. She didn't even remember moving. I didn't care. His body pressed against hers, hard and hot. One hand tangled in her carefully styled hair, ruining it. The other slid down her side, fingers digging into her hip through the thin silk of her dress.

She couldn't think. Could barely breathe. All she knew was his mouth on hers, his hands on her body, the way he kissed her like he was starving and she was the only thing that could satisfy him.

"God, I've missed this," he muttered against her lips. "Missed you."

"It's only been two weeks."

"Felt like years." He kissed her again, harder this time. Possessive. His hand slid up her thigh, pushing the fabric of her dress higher. "Tell me you haven't thought about it. About us. That night."

She had. Constantly. "Caspian, we can't. Not here. Someone could see."

"I don't care." But he pulled back slightly, breathing hard. His eyes were dark with want. "Come home with me. Right now. Tell Julian you're sick. Make an excuse. I need you, Lia. Need to be inside you again."

The words sent heat straight through her. She wanted to say yes. Wanted to leave this stupid gala and go wherever he wanted. Do whatever he wants.

But she couldn't. Julian would notice. Margaret would notice. There would be questions. Consequences.

"I can't just disappear. People will talk."

"Then meet me later. After this is over. I'll send you an address."

Lia opened her mouth to answer. Then she heard it. Footsteps on the stone path. Coming closer. Voices.

"Shit." She pushed at Caspian's chest. He stepped back immediately, his face shifting from desire to cold control in seconds. Lia straightened her dress with shaking hands. Fixed her hair as best she could. Tried to slow her racing heart.

Margaret appeared around the hedge. Her eyes narrowed when she saw Lia. "Aurelia? What are you doing out here?"

"Getting some air. It was hot inside." The lie came easily. Too easily. Lia had gotten good at lying lately.

Margaret's gaze swept the area. Looking for something or Someone. Has she seen Caspian? But he was gone. Disappeared into the shadows like a ghost. Like he'd never been there at all.

"You look flushed." Margaret's voice was sharp with suspicion. "Are you feeling well?"

"Just warm. The champagne, probably."

"Hmm. Well, come inside. Julian is looking for you. He's had too much to drink and is making a fool of himself. Again." The disapproval in her voice was clear. Even Margaret was getting tired of her son's behavior.

Lia followed her back into the ballroom, her lips still tingling from Caspian's kiss. Her body is still humming with want. Inside, Julian was indeed drunk. Loud. Laughing too hard at jokes that weren't funny. His tie was loosened and his face was red.

"There's my beautiful wife!" he shouted when he saw her. Several people turned to stare. Lia wanted to disappear. "Where'd you go? Thought you left me."

"Just needed some air."

Julian pulled her close. Too close. He smelled like whiskey and sweat. His hand on her waist felt wrong. Invasive. Nothing like when Caspian had touched her.

"Let's get you home," Lia said quietly. "You're tired."

"I'm not tired. I'm celebrating. That Nero guy is going to invest in the company. Millions, Lia. Millions." He kissed her sloppily. She turned her head so it landed on her cheek instead of her lips. "We're going to be rich."

They already were rich. But she didn't bother pointing that out. Just got him into the car, ignoring the stares and whispers from the other guests. Margaret looked mortified. Good. Maybe she'd finally realize her precious son was a disaster.

The drive home was silent. Julian passed out in the passenger seat, snoring. Lia drove on autopilot, her mind elsewhere. In the garden Caspian's hands were holding her gently,the way he'd kissed her like she was the only thing that mattered in the world.

Her phone buzzed. A text from an unknown number. But she knew who it was.

"Same hotel. Same time. Friday. Don't make me wait."

Lia stared at the message. She should delete it. Should block the number. Should tell Caspian this was done. Finished. They'd had their moment and now it was over.

She deleted the text.

Then immediately went to her deleted messages and restored it. stared at it. Read it again. And again.

Friday. Three days away. Three days to come to her senses. To remember all the reasons this was a terrible idea. She was married. He was a criminal. This could only end badly.

But as she pulled into the driveway and looked at Julian's passed-out face, she knew she was going to go. Knew she was done pretending she didn't want this ,she wanted him like he needs her.

Two weeks without Caspian had been torture. Pure hell. Every day dragging by while she went through the motions of her fake life. And tonight, for those few minutes in the garden, she'd felt alive again. Real. Like she mattered.

She wasn't giving that up. Not yet. Maybe not ever.

Lia helped Julian stumble inside and into bed. He was asleep before his head hit the pillow. She went to the guest room, lay down fully clothed, and pulled up Caspian's message again.

Her fingers hovered over the keyboard. She should say no. Should tell him this was over.

Instead, she typed: "I'll be there."

The response came immediately. Just two words that made her entire body heat up.

"Good girl."