Serving his desires

Chapter 5

The morning came too soon, dragging me out of restless sleep and forcing me into routine. I pushed aside the lingering remnants of my dream, determined to ignore whatever thoughts had settled in my mind overnight.

Lucian wasn’t thinking about me.

So I wouldn’t think about him.

I went about my duties as usual, cleaning, preparing the rooms, making sure everything in the house was as it should be. The other staff barely spoke to me, which I didn’t mind. It was easier this way.

It wasn’t until late afternoon that I crossed paths with Lucian again.

He was in the dining room, seated at the long table, a glass of whiskey in his hand. The bottle sat beside him, half-empty.

I hesitated at the doorway. It was unusual to see him like this—drinking in the middle of the day, his tie loosened, his gaze distant.

I should have walked away.

But instead, I stepped forward. “Do you need anything, sir?”

Lucian didn’t look at me right away. His fingers tapped against the glass before he finally turned his head, his dark eyes meeting mine. “No.”

I nodded and turned to leave, but his voice stopped me.

“Mara.”

I swallowed. It's been awhile since he said my name

I turned back. “Yes?”

He studied me for a long moment, his expression unreadable as always. Then he exhaled slowly, shaking his head. “Nothing. Go.”

Something about the way he said it made my chest tighten. Like what the f**k was his problem.

I left without another word, but even as I walked away, I could still feel his gaze on my back and it made me feel a bit uncomfortable.

I hesitated at the doorway, but something about the way he sat there, whiskey glass in hand, made me pause.

Lucian wasn’t a man who looked lost. But right now, he almost did, infact he looked extremely lost.

I turned back slowly. “Are you sure?”

His eyes flicked up to me, dark and assessing. He didn’t answer right away, just swirled the amber liquid in his glass before sighing. “You always ask unnecessary questions.”

I crossed my arms. “And you never answer them.”

A flicker of something passed in his gaze, something unreadable. “You’re still here.”

“You said my name.”

Lucian leaned back in his chair, stretching out his legs slightly. “So?”

“So, I figured you had something to say.”

He studied me again, as if debating whether to send me away or entertain the conversation. Then, to my surprise, he gestured to the chair across from him. “Sit.”

I hesitated. This was new.

Still, I stepped forward and lowered myself into the seat, keeping my posture straight.

For a moment, neither of us spoke. The quiet between us was comfortable, but it was heavy too, like there were unspoken things lingering between us.

“You’ve been avoiding me,” he finally said.

I raised an eyebrow. “I’ve been doing my job.”

Lucian scoffed softly, taking a slow sip of his drink. “You used to talk more.”

“I thought you preferred silence sir, afterall that's not what I'm here for"

“I do.” His lips twitched slightly. “But it seems you don’t.”

I wasn’t sure how to respond to that.

He set his glass down, fingers resting against the rim. “Do you regret it?”

I stiffened slightly, knowing exactly what he was talking about. I should have expected this.

I met his gaze. “Do you?”

Lucian tilted his head slightly, considering. “No.”

My heart thudded a little too hard.

“Then neither do I" I said quietly.

Another long pause. Then, almost casually, he said, “I don’t drink whiskey in the afternoon.”

I frowned. “You’re doing it now.”

He smirked, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Yes. But only when something is bothering me.”

I hesitated before asking, “And what’s bothering you?”

Lucian was silent for a moment, his fingers tightening around the glass. Then, in a voice quieter than usual, he said, “Nothing that concerns you.”

And just like that, the conversation ended.

But something told me this was the closest I’d ever gotten to seeing the man behind the cold exterior.

His words lingered in the air between us.

"Nothing that concerns you."

I should have left it at that. I should have stood up, walked away, and let the conversation die like he clearly wanted. But I didn’t.

Because despite his coldness, despite the way he always seemed so untouchable, I could feel something simmering beneath the surface. A weight in his words. A hesitation that wasn’t like him.

Lucian Vale didn’t hesitate.

So why did it feel like he was holding something back?

I studied him, watching the way his fingers curled around the whiskey glass, the tension in his shoulders. He looked calm, controlled, as always but now I was beginning to see it. The tiniest cracks in his composure.

“What if it does concern me?” I asked before I could stop myself.

Lucian’s eyes flicked up to meet mine, dark and unreadable. “It doesn’t.”

His voice was steady, final. But the slight clench of his jaw told me otherwise.

I could have pushed. I wanted to. But I knew Lucian by now. He wasn’t the type to spill his thoughts just because someone asked, especially someone like me. He kept everything locked inside, hidden behind those cold, calculating eyes.

And maybe that was why I wanted to know more.

Maybe that was why I stayed in my seat instead of leaving.

I leaned back slightly, my fingers grazing over the smooth wood of the table. “So why did you ask me to sit?”

Lucian exhaled through his nose, shaking his head like he wasn’t even sure himself. “You’re persistent.”

“You’re the one keeping me here.”

That almost looked like it amused him. Just a flicker, a ghost of something in his expression. “You could have walked away.”

I tilted my head. “Could I?”

Something changed in his gaze. A sharp glint, like he recognized exactly what I meant.

We both knew the answer.

Lucian liked control. He liked making the rules, setting the pace, keeping things exactly as he wanted them. But he was also the one who had stopped me from leaving just minutes ago.

I didn’t imagine it.

I didn’t imagine the way his voice softened when he said my name.

I didn’t imagine the tension between us, thick and almost suffocating, as we sat there in silence.

I wanted to say something else, something that would crack through that cold, indifferent exterior just a little more. But before I could, Lucian shifted in his seat and downed the rest of his drink.

And then, without another word, he stood up and

walked away.

I stared after him, feeling a strange mix of frustration and intrigue settle deep in my chest.

Lucian Vale was a puzzle.

And I wasn’t sure if I was meant to solve him… or if he was meant to unravel me instead, was he? because I always beginning to feel like he was.