Sin in His Shadow” Book One

Chapter 2: The Thorn in His Smile

Lucien thought it would fade.

The heat. The ache. The way that man’s touch had carved into his skin like poetry written in bruises.

But the moment he stepped out of the hotel and into the quiet gray of dawn, something clung to him. Not perfume, not shame—something invisible and heavy, like fate breathing down his neck.

He went home, showered twice, and still felt Zarek on his skin.

At the university, the world spun on. Students laughed, pens scratched paper, lives continued. But Lucien was somewhere else. In the back of his mind, he still lay on those tangled sheets, staring at the ceiling while Zarek’s silence replayed louder than any words.

A week passed. No message. No name.

Until the black car pulled up beside him after his evening class.

Lucien froze.

The window rolled down. A man with a crisp suit and an unreadable face spoke:

> “Mr. Velenza would like a word.”

He should’ve run. Should’ve said no.

Instead, he got in.

---

The Velenza Estate was nothing short of a fortress. Gates taller than dreams, security thicker than guilt. The halls were marbled, but they were cold. Expensive, but empty.

Zarek stood at the balcony when Lucien was led in. No words. Just that same air—dangerous and magnetic.

Lucien swallowed. “You left without a word.”

Zarek turned slowly. His eyes looked darker now. A storm held back by will.

> “You weren’t supposed to remember me.”

> “Too bad,” Lucien said, voice trembling. “I do.”

Something flickered in Zarek’s gaze—anger? Regret? Desire?

He stepped forward, close enough to see the fine cut on his jaw, the tightness in his shoulders. “You shouldn’t be here, Lucien.”

> “You invited me.”

Zarek’s smirk curved like a blade. “That was before I knew your name.”

They stood there, silence screaming between them.

Then Zarek reached out, brushing a thumb over Lucien’s lip, as if trying to erase the memory of that night—or memorize it again.

Lucien flinched. “What do you want from me?”

> “Nothing,” Zarek said.

“Everything.”

---

Lucien left that night with a warning burning in his chest:

> “Stay away from me, Lucien. For your own good.”

But the damage was done.

Because you can’t un-kiss a sinner.

You can’t un-feel a scar.

And you definitely can’t unlove a man like Zarek Velenza.

Not when he’s already under your skin.

Not when the thorns in his smile are already drawing blood.