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Chapter 22 : Working on it
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2024-04-03 14:13:04Related chapters
Empire of Lust Chapter 23 : Down to Business
I dig through my closet looking for my best suit. Today is a special day. I had left Ava’s last night knowing she’s just as invested in making things work as I am. The kiss she gave me after her gift still lingers on my lips, and I can’t stop thinking about it. I can’t wait to experience more. I find what I’m looking for and get ready. Everything has to be perfect as I begin exacting revenge against Conner Brown. Marcus and I grab a quick bite to eat, even though the excitement makes eating difficult. I make sure to pull through a carwash before heading to Better Car Imports. That’s where Conner works, and I made an offer to the owner that he couldn’t refuse just two days earlier. Once the owner found out he was speaking to the heir to the Lewis empire, he was quick to make a deal.Once I finish here, I will send the company information to the family business manager. He will add Better Car Imports to the already lengthy list of auto lots the Lewis family owns. I pull into t
Last Updated : 2024-04-03Empire of Lust Chapter 24 : Lunch With the Girls
*Ava’s POV*“Honestly, I wanted to stay mad at Seymore. I spent the day fuming over his attempt to control me. I could justify my anger, especially after years of putting up with Conner’s controlling ways. The man had followed me home, begging for me to talk to him. I felt good about leaving him on the stoop, sulking in his guilt. Then I opened my door and saw the flowers all over my condo. Not just any flower, but lilacs.” “Where’s Seymore?” Ellie had asked, coming down the hall from the bathroom.“On the stoop,” I replied, causing her to narrow her eyes at me.“She was the reason I went down and made up with the man I had spent the day scorning. Ellie made me feel awful about my behavior, but I already felt bad after seeing what he went through to make things up to me. Then he gave me the book. A valuable piece of art on its own, making me feel worse.” “And you made up with him?” Sophia asks as we sit in the restaurant waiting for our food.I’ve been talking her ear off
Last Updated : 2024-04-03Empire of Lust Chapter 25 : Acts of Lust
*Seymore’s POV*Ava sits next to me on the couch and I close my eyes in an effort to control the demon within. I want to hold her, but I don’t know if I can control myself if I do. She smells so good, and I’ve had nothing but lustful thoughts all night because of her short, green dress. While in the museum, I had thought about dragging her into one of the dark corners and convincing her to fool around with me. I don’t know when Ava got up, she went to grab something to eat and left it in front of us, but my eyes pop open as I feel her brush against my legs while passing by and my hands shot up and pull her down to my lap.She freezes but doesn’t pull away. I know this was a very bold move by me, but I needed to make a move before I lose her again. She doesn’t move, I worry a bit but she swallows hard and then takes a deep breath.The warmth of her womanhood can be felt through my slacks, causing me to look hungrily at her. Any thoughts of keeping my hands off of her fade away
Last Updated : 2024-04-03Empire of Lust Chapter 26 : The Firing Continues
“Seymore, are you alive?” Marcus says from the office doorway, causing me to sit up in the chair. I had been so caught up in learning about Ava’s family history last night that I must have fallen asleep in my office. I whip some drool off my mouth and look over at him.“You look like shit, man. Did you sleep in here?” he remarks, a confused look on his face.I nod, looking around the room and trying to fully wake up. “Why don’t you go take a shower and I’ll make breakfast,” Marcus offers before moving out of the doorframe. A shower sounds great. Hopefully, it will help loosen up this kink in my neck. As I step under the hot water, I think about everything I learned the night before. Dr. Desmond Davies is Ava’s father. I don’t know if I should be upset by the fact she hadn’t told me or not. Maybe she thought I already knew? Then there’s the bigger issue.I have a meeting with Dr. Davies tomorrow. How am I supposed to look him in the eyes knowing he’s the one who pushed Av
Last Updated : 2024-04-03Empire of Lust Chapter 27 : Enough is Enough
*Ava’s POV*Seymore walks out the door and I hurry around the corner to confront Dr. Davies. My father has been a pain in my life for a while. I feel bad for him, so I stay. Everyone else left him and his impossible ego years ago. First Nick, leaving permanently, and then Mom. Ellie has been telling me to stand up to him for years. She told me that it sucks when family is toxic, but you need to cut them off like you would any other toxic person. “What did you do?” I snap, anger in the back of my throat. He shakes his head and slowly walks down the steps toward me. Even his walk is condescending, and I’m made to wait for an answer until he’s ready. Today isn’t a day for dramatics. Seymore was upset, even if he tried to mask it with a smile. He puts the need to comfort me above all else, and I love that.“Ava, you won’t understand,” Desmond says, walking over to my desk. “You’ll think I’m trying to control your life when all I’m doing is protecting you.”“Protecting me? Th
Last Updated : 2024-04-03Empire of Lust Chapter 28 : Together Again
*Seymore’s POV*I’d been nervous walking out to Marcus and Ava. I thought for sure she was going to be mad at me for keeping something from her. It wasn’t that I didn’t want her to know, I just never really thought about telling her. The point of a bodyguard is to have protection no one knows about. She handled it well, making honesty moving forward a little easier to provide. I hadn’t expected Ava to be so eager to help me with the injured dog. I know she loves what she does at the shelter, but not many people want to put the extra effort in at home. The thought of her coming over to help with Goldie opened up a whole new possibility I hadn’t considered. As they bring out the dog, I watch as Ava wobbles a little on her feet. I hadn’t considered preparing her for the condition of the Golden. They had shaved around her neck to remove the collar. Some of the larger mats had been shaven out as well. The poor creature looks a mess with pieces of her coat missing here and there.
Last Updated : 2024-04-03Empire of Lust Chapter 29 : Falling Hard
I make it home from Ava’s, but I don’t remember the drive. I was in a daze the whole way home. I don’t know why, but Sophia Ambrose had been sitting on the couch with Ellie when I glanced through the door. I know it was her, I was able to get a good look at her face. For some reason, that face brought back memories I didn’t know I had.A drunken night about eight months ago had been one of the reasons I sought help for my addiction. I had never been so drunk in my life, and I wound up bringing someone home. I hadn’t remembered who it was, and she left before I woke up. The whole situation scared me.Now I can’t get the thought of Sophia out of my head. Was the mystery girl all those months ago her? I walk into the house in a daze. Marcus is sitting on the couch with the dogs and he doesn’t say anything as I walk past. Before I know it, I’m sitting on the edge of my bed with my phone in hand.I start scrolling through the names and numbers of the various contacts I’ve added over t
Last Updated : 2024-04-03Empire of Lust Chapter 30 : Throwing Caution to the Wind
*Ava’s POV*I haven’t been able to calm myself down since the conversation with Seymore last night. I had thought everything was going great, until that call. He hadn’t sounded like himself, and it took me a minute to figure out what was happening. Nick had gone through bouts with his addiction where he wasn’t the happy person he usually was.I remember talking to him, and it took a long time for him to open up about the dangerous side of sex addiction. The darkness that kept sex on his mind until he appeased it. Obsessive thoughts would cause a physical struggle that pushed him into doing things he normally wouldn’t do to get a fix.I had been unable to sleep, worried that Seymore would do something he would regret. The research I’ve been doing on how to have a relationship with a sex addict let me know it would be difficult. I just don’t know that I’m ready for this.“You look like a hot mess,” Ellie comments as I walk into the living room.“Gee, thanks,” I reply, walking i
Last Updated : 2024-04-03
Latest chapter
Empire of Lust Chapter 50 : Moving Day
***Three Months LaterThe last few months have been a blur as Ava and I move forward with building a life together. I love waking up to her every day, afternoon sex is amazing, and holding her in my arms at night is the only way I can fall asleep. “Are you almost ready?” Ava yells from the kitchen.“Almost,” I answer, finishing up getting dressed.Zeus and Goldie run into the bedroom, excited about the day ahead. They will be getting dropped off at Doc’s place while we help Sophia and Ellie move. We also need to get all of Ava’s things out of her condo and into our house. “Come on, you two. Time to go see Grandpa Doc!” I holler as I walk down the hall. Ava started calling him that because he spoils the dogs like they were his own grandchildren. They have more toys and comfy beds at his place than ours. We pile into the SUV and take off, eager to get the day going. “Did you remember to grab the bottle of wine out of the fridge?” I ask Ava as we drive into the city.
Empire of Lust Chapter 49 : Picking up the Pieces
*Seymore’s POV*Once I can no longer hear all the emergency vehicles, I pull back onto the road and head for the house. This isn’t over yet, but at least we are all together again. Marcus calls Doc and Ellie to let them know we have Ava and are going to my place. There’s no telling what Duncan will do once he finds out his head henchman is out of commission. “Lock yourselves in and don’t open the door for anyone,” Marcus instructs each of them before hanging up.“When we get to the house we need to do a sweep and then barricade the doors,” I explain while turning down my street.Talking makes my neck throb. I’m hoping Corbin didn’t do any permanent damage with the death grip he had on me. Looking in the rearview mirror, I can see redness along Marcus’ neck. As we get closer to the drive, the white car from the other day is parked in the street.“Marcus,” I growl, drawing his attention to the car.“Give me a break,” he huffs from the backseat.I pull up close to them a
Empire of Lust Chapter 48 : True Crime
*Ava’s POV*I came to, my face pressed into whatever it was that I landed on. Everything hurts. It feels like I was hit by a bus and not thrown down a flight of stairs. I listen for any sounds before I try to move or open my eyes. I want to make sure Corbin isn’t sitting next to me on the steps, waiting for me to show signs of life. Once I’m sure he’s still upstairs, I open my eyes and slowly push myself up. From the feel of it, I’m sitting on an old mattress. At least my landing had some cushion. I can’t imagine what damage could have been done if I landed on concrete. There’s no sunlight coming through any windows in the cellar. If this was an old hunting cabin, I would imagine this floor was used for cold storage. I can hear Corbin walking around overhead. He’s still in the building.A phone ringing upstairs draws my attention. I can hear Corbin’s deep voice until he takes the call outside, signaled by the door slamming behind him. I’d imagine the reception out here isn’t
Empire of Lust Chapter 47 : Betrayal
Desmond should still be at the office. No need to call ahead this time, if he has a client I will throw them out the door to free up some time. What’s happened isn’t just my fault, and he has to take responsibility for what he’s done.I pull up in front of the office with Marcus right behind me. I jump out of the SUV and head for the steps.“Seymore, will you wait?” Marcus yells, getting out of his own car.“Where are we at with tracking down Corbin?” I ask, not interested in anything else right now.There will be no talking me out of anything. Until Ava is back in my arms, I will rain down punishment on anyone who’s harmed her. “Doc’s working on it. He says he has an idea, but that we should wait for him to call before blowing our cover,” Marcus huffs.“Ava’s gone, Marcus. As far as I’m concerned, there is no more cover,” I snap at him, opening the door to the office and rushing up the steps.I kick in Desmond’s office door, slightly disappointed at finding him alone. T
Empire of Lust Chapter 46 : Duncan Ambrose
*Seymore’s POV*Ava hasn’t been gone for more than twenty minutes and I’m already losing my mind. I wish I hadn’t sent her away, it really did go against everything I was feeling. Her safety is my top priority, even if it means I’m going to suffer for it. At least Ava will have her friends to distract her, making the time we spend away from one another move quickly. I suppose I could go see Doc and Marcus. We could play some cards and just hang out. No matter what, I need to find something to keep my mind off of Ava. I pull out my cell and call Marcus.“What’s up, Seymore?” he asks right away.“I just sent Ava away. I guess Sophia talked with Corbin and he warned her to stay away from Ava. I figured she would be safer at Ellie’s than here, but I need to find something to do while she’s gone,” I explain in a drawn-out breath.“I understand, and it makes sense. I’m heading back to your place with the dogs. Doc finally got tired of me hovering over him and told me to go home
Empire of Lust Chapter 45 : Taken
*Ava’s POV*I can’t believe it. The man I trust above all others has sent me away. Sure, there had been no point in arguing with him, but that doesn’t mean I want this. I’m so tired of everyone else telling me what to do with my life. I know what’s good for me, and what I feel should override anyone else's opinion. I sit in the back of Sophia’s car, sulking as she drives. She and Ellie are both trying to tell me how to feel, and I’m over it. I would rather be with Seymore, fighting by his side. This is ridiculous and an unnecessary step. “If Corbin was the one who killed Conner, we need to treat him like the threat he is,” Ellie is saying. “That’s true, Ava. Corbin doesn’t care what the order is, he will carry it out without prejudice. The fact he mentioned I should stay away from you specifically worries me,” Sophia adds. My heart had dropped when Seymore said I should stay away from him. That’s the last thing I had been expecting. I thought he would step up his efforts
Empire of Lust Chapter 44 : The Beginning of the End
The phone rings a few times before Kade answers. The states are six hours behind us, so midnight here is only six o’clock over there.“Seymore, nice to hear from you again. Raven and I were just talking about you,” Kade says after the initial hellos. “How have you been?”“Do you have time? I’ve got a lot going on,” I reply, heading out to Doc’s garden to speak to him in private. It takes me a good hour to fill him in on everything going on. Kade asks his questions as we talk, congratulating me on my relationship with Ava, and then lecturing me for not calling him sooner when it came to the Duncan problem. “You know I could have helped, he’s someone I do business with,” Kade had scorned.I love that he wants to help, but I’m used to taking care of my problems on my own. Suddenly having a large support group of friends is taking some adjusting on my part. “I’m sorry I didn’t call you sooner, I was trying to deal with it on my end without bothering you,” I retort. “But I co
Empire of Lust Chapter 43 : Nothing's Ever Simple
*Seymore’s POV*I dart up the steps with Ava on my heels. I feel like my heart is about to pop out of my chest. This is the most dangerous part of our mission, and I can’t turn around to see if anyone sees us. We reach the top and I pull her around a corner, both of us are out of breath as we press our backs against a wall. “We’re up,” I tell Marcus through the earpiece. “It looks good out here, Corbin’s sitting at the door checking IDs again,” he replies. “Find the black door and let me know when you’re ready for the code.”“It’s okay, Corbin doesn’t know we’re up here,” I relay to Ava, causing her to nod that she understands. We should have plenty of time to find the door we need. According to Sophia, Corbin won't be back up to check the building for at least forty-five minutes. There is a long hall to our right and a short hall to the left. I point to Ava and down the left side. She nods and heads down the hall while I take the right. The noise of the club is distrac
Empire of Lust Chapter 42 : Hitting the Club
*Ava’s POV*Seymore has been looking at me funny all day. He hasn’t brought it up, but I know what he’s thinking. I hadn’t allowed him to pull out. I had an oh-no moment the night before when he came inside me, but once my brain worked through it I decided it wasn’t a bad thing. If I get pregnant, so be it. I went through years of being unable to conceive with Conner, and I don’t want to have children too late in life. If Seymore brings it up, that’s exactly what I’ll tell him.The afternoon was too busy to talk about it. We needed to contact everyone and let them know what the plan was. Ellie was stoked, asking me if I wanted to come over to get ready together. I declined. She will take Sophia and head to the club early so they can get in place and let us know when it’s busy enough to slip in. Doc and Marcus said they would get the earpieces ready. Seymore and I left a little while ago to come home and prepare.“Is that what you’re wearing?” I ask as he steps out of the be
