33 (Lucian’s POV) A Gift
Lucian
Mara was untouched.
How would I have known?
She was bold. Sensual. The way she pulled me into bed, the way she looked at me-it was all so sure, so unapologetic. I never would’ve guessed.
And yet, she trusted me with that. With herself.
I didn’t see it coming.
I wasn’t prepared for the way she undid me-physically, emotionally. The way she claimed me, quietly, without even trying.
I keep thinking back to the day I went to her father’s house-how I ran my mouth, said things I didn’t mean, things I’ll probably always regret. That single conversation set us back. We spent two months and two weeks walking on eggshells because of it. All that time wasted.
If I hadn’t spoken like a fool, I wouldn’t have been so hung up on Darian. I wouldn’t have questioned her feelings. I would’ve seen what was in front of me from the start.
She was mine long before I knew it.
Martha thought she was punishing me by pairing me with Mara. But she gave me something I never even knew I wanted. My father was right-Mara was too good for Darian. Hell, she was too good for me.
That night in the tent, when we made love… it meant everything. I wanted it to be more than just s*x. I needed it to be more. I hope she felt it too, because I’ve never felt anything like it.
Finding out I was her first changed something in me. Deep down.
I made a promise then and there: she would never regret it. I would never make her question whether she mattered. She would always come first. Always.
Morning came soft and slow.
The ocean whispered just beyond the tent walls, and light spilled across her skin in the most unreal way. I watched her sleep, committing every inch of her face to memory. She was beautiful. She was mine.
I ran a finger down her cheek, gently.
Mine.
She stirred, eyes fluttering open. A soft smile curved her lips. “Lucian,” she whispered.
Before she could say anything else, I kissed her-deep, slow, pouring everything I felt into that moment. She kissed me back just as fiercely. We shifted, kneeling, facing each other in bed, devouring each other like we hadn’t already had a night full of passion.
When I finally pulled back, I rested my forehead against hers, catching my breath.
“Thank you, Mara,” I said.
She couldn’t hold my gaze. That was okay.
I took her hands in mine. “I promise never to cheat on you. Never to disrespect you. I won’t let anyone hurt you. I’ll protect you. I’ll trust you. Always. You’re my wife. My mate. And you are more than enough for me.”
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Her eyes welled up, and she pulled away, wiping tears from her cheeks.
My chest tightened. “Did I say something-?”
She shook her head before I could finish.
“They’re happy tears,” she said softly.
I nodded, relief washing over me.
“If I knew you felt this way,” she whispered, “I wouldn’t have been so guarded. But I thought you meant the things you said that day at my house. I thought you were still with Tina.”
She looked around the tent as if grounding herself again.
I took her chin gently and turned her back to face me.
“I was lost then. I’m not anymore.”
And I meant every word.
“Thank you for this, Lucian,” Mara whispered. “We needed it. We needed it so much.”
I pulled her into me and kissed her with everything I had-every silent promise, every truth I hadn’t yet spoken. That morning, we didn’t make love again.
I figured she might still be sore. But something had shifted between us, and I knew we had entered a new chapter. One I planned to honor with every word and every action from here on out.
Mara walked out of the tent wearing my boxers and one of my shirts. She didn’t want to trek back to the chalet in the sexy turquoise dress I’d picked for her, and I didn’t blame her. She looked incredible in my clothes-barefaced, fresh, and mine.
The sight of her like that lit a different kind of fire in me. One that wasn’t just about lust-it was about love, pride,
connection.
I threw on my trousers and vest, and we left the tent hand-in-hand, walking through the soft morning light like we belonged in it.
Back at the chalet, while she disappeared into the bathroom, I stepped aside and called Austin.
He answered on the third ring.
“Austin.”
“Good morning, sir,” he said, voice alert but warm.
“We’re coming back today. Mara and I will now be sharing a bed,” I said simply. “Make the necessary changes to the
bedroom before we arrive.”
There was a pause, then a smile in his voice. “Yes, sir.”
I knew he was rooting for us. So many people were, quietly.
I ended the call and went to join Mara in the shower.
She turned under the spray and smiled at me-one of those smiles that melted away all the weight I’d been carrying. I stepped in beside her, letting the warm water soak us both.
No words were needed. I could feel her arousal, and the way her eyes darkened told me everything I needed to know.
“Aren’t you sore?” I asked gently.
She shook her head.
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93 (Lucian’s POV) A Gift.
$8 Pont>
I kissed her, slow and deep, and lifted her easily, pressing her against the tiled wall. Her legs wrapped around me, and I entered her with the same care I’d given her the night before.
She moaned softly, and the sound made something inside me snap in the best way.
I moved with rhythm, with purpose-drawing pleasure from her and giving it back in return. Her body trembled when she came, and I wasn’t far behind.
I held her close, anchored in that perfect moment, before gently setting her down.
We showered in quiet harmony and stepped out together, wrapped in warmth and something more than love-ease.
While packing our things, I noticed a change in her expression. Her eyes had dimmed slightly. She was quieter.
“Mara,” I said softly, “what’s wrong?”
She paused for a second, then looked at me, her voice low.
“I really don’t want to go back there.”
The Nighthorn mansion.
I understood. More than anyone else ever could. That house held more shadows than walls. Darian. Martha. The
constant weight of pretending everything was fine when it wasn’t.
“If you feel this way…” I started, watching her closely, “why did you kiss him in the library?”
It had been sitting with me for a while-that kiss. It messed with my head more than I’d admit. And now that everything
between us was open, I needed to hear the truth.
Mara looked at me, her expression unreadable at first. Like she was carefully choosing her words.
“The truth, Mara,” I said, my voice softer this time. “I won’t be mad.”
She smiled gently, then said, “It was a goodbye kiss. He wouldn’t have let me leave the library otherwise.”
And just like that, the weight fell off my chest. I felt like a fool. All that anger, the way I’d spiraled, the doubt-it was for nothing. The kiss meant nothing to her. I could see it clearly now.
“And us?” I asked, still needing to hear it from her lips.
“I wanted to try,” she said. “I felt something during our dance that night-real chemistry. I thought we could build on it. But then you left. And the things you said at my father’s house… they kept echoing in my head. I didn’t want to come off as
desperate.”
She paused, eyes steady on mine.
“But when I realised you were no longer with Tina, when I saw how you treated me-how you protected me, cared for me- I knew. No one’s ever loved me the way you have, Lucian. In the little time we’ve truly spent together, I’ve finally felt what it means to be seen. To be safe. I’m ready to go all the way with you, but please… please don’t break my heart.”
She didn’t need to plead. It was already mine.
I stepped forward and kissed her, slow and certain.
“I won’t break your heart, Mara,” I said, and meant it with everything I had.
She nodded, eyes shining.
“We’ll move out of the mansion,” I added. “If that’s what you want, I’ll make it happen.”
Her lips parted in surprise, then curled into a hopeful smile. “What about your father? He loves you too much to let you go.
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**3 (Lucian’s POV) A Gift
I couldn’t help the laugh that escaped me. She’d figured it out. I was his favorite, and we both knew it.
“I’ll talk to him,” I said. “Gradually. He won’t be thrilled, but he’ll understand. I just need you to be patient with me.”
“I can do that,” she said softly.
She turned to get dressed, and I let my eyes drift to her bare neck. I’d wanted to claim her in the tent-mark her as mine-
but I held back. She deserved to choose that moment. Not have it decided for her.
As she pulled on her clothes, I grinned.
“I can’t wait to see you in the clothes-and lingerie-I picked for you,” I said. “I got them because I knew you’d look
incredible in every single one.”
She rolled her eyes playfully, but I caught the flush in her cheeks before she turned away.
The rest of the day passed in a kind of quiet bliss. We stayed wrapped in each other, in the warmth of the bed, the peace
of the room, the clarity of knowing exactly where we stood.
We finally had the honeymoon we both wanted-not born from lust or duty, but from something stronger.
Love.
Real, steady, undeniable love.
(Lucas’s POV) A ft That Keeps Giving
