Serving his desires

Chapter 12

I returned to the kitchen, placing the empty tray on the counter as I exhaled. The weight of Lucian’s presence still clung to my skin, an invisible force that made my fingers tremble slightly.

I shouldn’t care how he acted around them. It wasn’t my place to. But something about the way he dismissed me so easily in front of his guests made my chest tighten.

I busied myself with cleaning, trying to shake the strange feeling settling in my stomach. The distant murmur of voices continued from the lounge, their conversation dipping in and out of hushed tones.

Minutes passed before footsteps approached. I straightened instinctively, expecting another order. But when I turned, I found Lucian standing in the doorway, his sharp gaze locked onto me.

“You’re listening,” he said coolly.

My lips parted slightly, guilt flashing through me even though I hadn’t intended to eavesdrop. “No, sir. I was just—”

“I don’t like nosy people, Mara.”

I swallowed, gripping the cloth in my hand. “I wasn’t being nosy. I was just cleaning.”

A long silence stretched between us. Then, his gaze flickered downward, taking in my slightly parted lips, the way my breath was uneven.

For a moment, I thought he was going to say something else, something different from his usual coldness. But instead, he just exhaled, his expression unreadable.

Lucian’s gaze lingered on me for a moment before he spoke.

“Go to your room,” he said, his tone clipped yet unreadable. “I’ll call you when I need you.”

I hesitated, unsure if I had done something wrong. His guests were still in the lounge, their voices a distant murmur, but here, in the kitchen, it was just the two of us.

“Yes, sir,” I murmured, keeping my expression neutral. Without another word, I wiped my hands on my apron and walked past him.

As I made my way upstairs, I couldn't shake the feeling that something about him was different today. The exhaustion in his voice, the way he barely acknowledged me in front of the others but still took the time to address me now—it was subtle, but it was there.

I closed the door behind me and sat on the edge of the bed, letting out a slow breath. It was strange how much space Lucian Vale occupied in my thoughts. He was my employer. Nothing more.

Yet, even now, as I stared at the ceiling, waiting for his call, I couldn’t ignore the lingering heat in my chest.

I lay back on the bed, staring at the ceiling. The distant sound of voices from downstairs was muffled, but every now and then, I could catch the low timbre of Lucian’s voice. He was speaking calmly, controlled, yet there was always something unreadable about him.

I turned onto my side, running my fingers over the sheets. It was strange, this growing awareness I had of him. I shouldn’t care whether he acknowledged me or not. I was here to work, nothing more. Yet, the way he looked at me—when no one else was watching—stayed in my mind longer than I wanted to admit.

Time passed slowly, and I found myself glancing toward the door, waiting for his summons. I wasn’t sure how long I lay there before a sharp knock finally came.

I sat up quickly. “Yes?”

Lucian’s deep voice carried through the door. “Come downstairs.”

I smoothed out my uniform and took a steadying breath before stepping out of my room. As I descended the stairs, I found Lucian standing near the base, his expression unreadable.

“The guests are leaving,” he said simply.

I nodded. “Do you need me to clean up?”

He gave a slight tilt of his head. “Later.”

There was a moment of silence between us, a charged pause that made my pulse quicken. He looked tired, his sharp features drawn in a way that hinted at something deeper beneath his usual cold exterior.

Then, without another word, he turned and walked toward the lounge, leaving me standing there with a strange, unshakable feeling curling in my chest.

I lingered for a moment, unsure whether to follow him or return to my room. The house was quiet now, the deep voices from earlier gone, leaving only a heavy silence behind.

I turned away, deciding to go back upstairs when his voice stopped me.

“Mara.”

I stiffened.

“Come here.”

I hesitated but obeyed, stepping closer until I was standing just a few feet away. The air between us felt heavier than usual.

Lucian stood near the lounge entrance, one hand in his pocket while the other traced the edge of his glass. His expression was unreadable, but there was something heavier in his posture—something I hadn’t seen before.

“Sit,” he said.

I hesitated for only a second before obeying, lowering myself onto the chair across from him. He didn’t look at me immediately, swirling the liquid in his glass with slow, deliberate movements.

“You were listening earlier,” he stated. It wasn’t a question.

I stiffened. “I wasn’t trying to.”

He hummed, finally lifting his gaze to mine. “But you heard enough.”

I swallowed, unsure where this conversation was going. “Some of it.”

Lucian leaned back against the chair, his sharp features cast in shadow. “Then you know these men aren’t the type to waste their time. They want results. Quick ones.”

I didn’t know what he expected me to say, so I stayed silent.

After a moment, he sighed. “It’s business. Messy, unpredictable. You’ll see more of them in the coming weeks.”

Something about the way he said it made my stomach twist.

“What kind of business?” I asked cautiously.

His lips quirked slightly, but it wasn’t amusement—it was something else. “You don’t need to know that.”

A chill ran through me, but I didn’t push.

Lucian studied me for a moment longer, then exhaled. “you can go.”

I nodded, quickly rising to my feet. But as I turned to leave, his voice stopped me one last time.

“Mara.”

I glanced over my shoulder.

His gaze was steady. “Don’t let curiosity get the best of you.”

I swallowed hard, then hurried upstairs, my heart pounding for reasons I didn’t fully understand.