Tempting His Brother's Wife

#2 - Get A Grip

Lucian

She was my niece.

I should have been at the hospital for her birth.

But I couldn't leave her.

Lara Cole.

I watched her chest rise and fall while she slept, her face finally at peace, her beauty untouched by everything that had broken her tonight.

A strand of hair had fallen across her face.

My hand moved before I could stop it, reaching to brush it away.

I froze halfway.

I couldn't touch her.

No matter how much I wanted to.

Not only would a man like me ruin her...

She was still my brother's wife.

Bloody Liam.

I'd punch him for the second time when I saw him.

The first had been when I'd caught him with Ashley. He'd ended up in the ER bleeding.

I'd told him to end it.

He said he couldn't.

Because she was already pregnant.

My gut had twisted at the look of betrayal on Lara's face when she'd realised I knew. It was a look I'd make damn sure I never saw again.

My phone rang.

Speak of the devil.

I answered quickly and stepped away, keeping my voice low so I wouldn't wake her.

Not because I couldn't stand him being this close to Lara, even over a call.

"Yeah," I grated.

"Dude, what's got your pants in a twist?" Liam laughed.

Then, without waiting, he added. "She's beautiful, man."

My jaw tightened.

"Who?" I asked flatly.

"Your niece, of course," he said, still far too pleased with himself.

My eyes drifted through the glass.

Landing on Lara. Sleeeping. Peaceful. Unaware.

I wished I could protect her from all of it.

"Lucian? You there?"

"Yeah," I muttered. "Yeah, I'm here. Congratulations."

The words tasted wrong.

My chest tightened as I said them.

Because even while I spoke to him...

I was already betraying her.

"Thanks, man," Liam said. "We're at Mary General. Mum is already on her way. What time do you think you can get here?"

"Yeah, about that—"

My words stopped.

Because Lara had shifted on the couch. Her coat had fallen open.

What she wore underneath...

Jesus.

My grip tightened on the phone.

Red lace. Thin straps and... nothing else.

I went silent.

"Lucian?"

"Yeah," I said, voice lower now. Controlled. Barely.

"Is everything okay? You sound distracted."

He had no idea.

"I can't make it tonight," I said after a beat. "Something came up."

Lara.

"I'll be there tomorrow."

I ended the call before he could say anything else and slid the phone into my pocket.

Wrapping my fingers around the balcony railing, I took a breath. And another.

Then stepped back inside.

I could do this.

I halted a few steps in.

She was still on the couch.

Too close. Too exposed.

I should've have moved her earlier. Should've put distance between us.

Instead, I stood there. Frozen.

I'd had women before.

But Lara wasn't that.

She didn't sit in the same category as anything I knew how to handle.

My gaze lingered on her longer than it should've.

And I knew, even before I moved, that this time, I wasn't going to walk away from her the way I should.

Not when she clung to me like a lifeline when I lifted her.

Not when her fingers tightened the moment I tried to put her down.

"Shh... I'm not going anywhere, baby," I murmured.

I shouldn't have said it.

But the way she curled into me... the way she relaxed like she believed me—

It undid me more than anything ever should.

"Oh my God, Lucian?"

I woke to a sharp shriek the next morning.

Blinking against the light, it took me a second too long to find my bearings.

Because there was a woman. In my bed. In my house.

I never brought women here.

"Will you say something."

Lara.

I pushed up, suddenly very aware of her.

Her grip tightened on the sheets pulled to her chest.

I didn't let my gaze linger. Not when I knew exactly what was underneath.

It had been hot during the night. I'd stripped away the extra layers.

"Relax, nothing happened," I said, swinging my legs off the bed and standing.

Distance. I needed distance.

I wouldn't be mentioning how her body fit against mine during the night. Or how close I'd come to crossing a line I shouldn't even be near.

"You're naked—" she squeaked.

"Half naked," I corrected already moving towards the bathroom.

I couldn't afford to give her one more reason to freak out.

I shut the door behind me and exhaled.

Looking down, I dragged a hand over my face.

I needed to get a grip. Fast.