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Zavian’s eyelids lowered slowly.“With pleasure!” he groaned.With that, his lips met hers hungrily.Their lips moved together in a dance of passion and desire, while allowing their eyes to flutter closed, surrendering to the sinful feeling that coursed through them.His hands found their way to the curve of her waist and pressed her against his painfully hard erection.The tender kiss morphed into something more heated, more passionate.The silence of the room was broken by their ragged breaths and muffled sounds of pleasure.Emmeline's hands traced patterns on his chest and Zavian pressed against her waist with equal fervor.His left hand squeezed her backside and she let out a soft groan, opening up for him further.Their lips remained locked until breathing became too difficult for Emmeline.Zavian finally broke away from the kiss and looked at her with predatory eyes that made her heart race even faster than before."Would you like me to join you in the tub?" he asked.Emmeline br
Emmeline complied eagerly, her heart pounding in her chest at the reality of their situation."What about your wife?" she asked suddenly. "What if she comes looking for you?""You just remembered I have a wife? Where was that concern a few moments ago?” Zavian’s response was laced with a hint of sarcasm.“I… I don’t know. But she could…”“She won’t,” he assured her, his fingers tracing small circles along her waist. “And if she did, I wouldn’t care.”Emmeline separated his arm from her waist, lifting his wrist to her mouth. “Do you want your precious wife to become our unwanted audience?” she whispered with a grin, lightly kissing his wrist.Zavian let out a low groan at the sensation her lips invoked. “You’re trouble, Emmeline,” he said with humor, but there was something deeper, a glint of melancholy lacing his words.“What you see isn’t always the truth. Some people… well, things behind closed doors are different.” His cryptic words hung in the air.Emmeline searched his face, tryin
Zavian strode out of the bathroom, leaving Emmeline behind as he made his way to his rarely used room next door.His strides were heavy and purposeful like a man on a mission, heading straight for his main bedroom on the top floor.The warmth that had been in his eyes mere moments ago while with Emmeline had vanished, replaced by a frosty, dangerous glint. The aura radiating from him now was the complete opposite of the harmonious energy that had dominated their intimate bathroom encounter.The heavy mahogany door to his bedroom burst open without him even needing to touch it.The person inside immediately dropped to their knees, head bowed in submission.Luca was visibly trembling, his hands clenched into tight fists at his sides. He knew this moment was coming - the time to receive his punishment for the mistake he had made the previous night."Master," Luca began hesitantly. "I'm here to receive punishment for my mistake." His voice was laced with trepidation.Zavian's expression wa
The morning sun streamed through the windows, casting a warm glow over the villa.The warmth of the room and the comfort of the bed had wrapped around her, soothing her into a deep, restful sleep last night. For the first time in a long while, the weight of her worries felt just a little bit lighter.Everyone had left for work, except for Emmeline. She tossed and turned in bed until noon, boredom gnawing at her restless mind. Suddenly, an idea struck her – a way to alleviate the monotony of her day.Cursing herself inwardly, yet unable to resist the temptation, Emmeline found herself drawn to Zavian’s room. It was the same room where Zavian had given her her first taste of ecstasy. Its walls were a light gray hue, save for the one that hugged his bed – that one was as dark as the man himself.Emmeline lay on Zavian's bed, staring up at the ceiling. Moments later, she rolled over onto her stomach and reached for the bedside table, curiosity getting the better of her."Let's see what's o
Emmeline took a step closer, reducing the distance between them and burying her index in his chest, hissing. "I raise my voice as I like and in the face of whoever I want. How did you manage to mess with my feelings, Mr. Blackthorn?"Zavian grabbed her wrist and pulled her hand off his chest in annoyance. "You're being dramatic."He squeezed her wrist with his fist until her face shrank in pain. "I didn’t expect you to misinterpret my treatment of you as stemming from feelings, especially since I told you clearly and more than once that love isn’t my specialty."Emmeline lowered her head, unwilling to let him see the tears that had gathered in her eyes. "How can I not misunderstand you when you give me everything I need, and even take me into your house to protect me from my violent husband?"Zavian released her wrist with a tight sigh. "I thought you needed a distraction."Emmeline’s thoughts centered around her own brokenness. When she checked her actions, she realized she was wrong
Emmeline hated the disappointed, almost wistful tone her voice had taken right at the end - like she'd somehow built up all these unrealistic expectations around Zavian.What had she been thinking? This was just a messy situation she'd allowed herself to get tangled up in, nothing more.Flopping facedown on the bed, she grabbed her phone off the nightstand and was surprised to see three missed calls from Richard.She must have left it on silent earlier, because it hadn't made a sound. Figures that controlling prick would already be blowing up her phone, trying to reassert his dominance.Emmeline swallowed hard, steeling herself when his name flashed across the screen again before answering in a cold tone. "What do you want?""What nonsense is Mr. Blackthorn spouting? What's this about you not leaving his house until I apologize in front of everyone? Has that guy lost his damn mind or what?" Richard's shouts exploded so loudly from the speaker that she instinctively pulled the phone awa
Emmeline crumpled to the grass, hugging her knees to her chest as she stared unseeingly into the distance.She didn't even register the presence beside her until a warm cardigan was draped over her shoulders.She looked up to find none other than Zavian towering before her. "Are you alright?" The worry swimming in his deep eyes made her heart pound erratically all over again."I saw you arguing heatedly with someone on the phone. Who was the caller?"Emmeline recalled the harsh words they'd exchanged earlier that afternoon. Thus, she shrugged off the jacket, letting it pool in his lap. "I don't think it's any of your business, Mr. Blackthorn. Who am I to you that you'd come down here specifically to check on me?"She made to stand up but Zavian wrapped the soft cardigan snugly around her shoulders again, the weight of his hands pinning her in place. "I told you I care about you. And what happened between us this afternoon doesn't change that - you'll just have to live with my concern
Emmeline kept her chin up as Richard finally stormed into view, her lips twitching despite herself at the sight of his black eye peeking out from under the bandage."Good evening, everyone," he greeted tightly.The others merely inclined their heads in curt acknowledgment, refusing to be swayed by his feigned niceties as his glare zeroed in on Emmeline."Did you really have to go so far as to punish me like this, Emmeline?" he asked in a deliberately defeated tone, clearly hoping to garner their pity. "I called you so many times after our...disagreement this afternoon. I was hoping to find you home when I returned. But despite my begging, you showed me no mercy."His pathetic attempt to turn them against Emmeline failed miserably.Zavian stared him down with undisguised disdain. "You think a simple phone call apology is enough to make up for what you did yesterday? That is, if you even truly apologized at all like you claim!"Richard tugged at his slacks nervously. "I'm sorry for the..
"It was certainly a pleasant surprise that you came all the way down to the courthouse for me," Yuna began, shooting Emmeline a sidelong glance. "But I have to ask - how did you even think to invite me to lunch in the first place? We don't usually make plans one-on-one like that."Emmeline felt her heart rate kick up a notch as panic gripped her chest. She definitely hadn't anticipated that question and was utterly unprepared with a believable excuse."Honestly..." she hedged, stalling for time as her mind raced. Finally, she settled on the only remotely plausible explanation she could think of, even if it did throw Minnie under the bus a bit. "I felt kind of bad that Minnie and I went to the med spa for facials last weekend without you. I thought doing lunch would be my way of making up for leaving you out this time."She tried to inject a casual, friendly lilt into her tone, realizing the excuse was pretty lame even as the words left her mouth. "I know it's not quite the same as a re
“Zavian!” A familiar voice suddenly called out.They both turned to find Yuna hurrying across the immaculate grounds toward them, clearly intent on catching up to the pair before they could make their getaway.Emmeline's face drained of all color, while Zavian's expression was rigid, his jaw clenched tightly.‘Stupid move shutting down the mind link,’ he cursed inwardly. Luca must have tried warning him about Yuna's unexpected arrival.A frown creased his brow as he was struck once again by how Emmeline's presence seemed to dull his usually razor-sharp senses.Did she really affect him that much, or was it the incomplete mate bond screwing with his head whenever she was around?Shoving those troubling thoughts aside for the moment, Zavian turned to face his uninvited wife. "What do you want, Yuna?" he asked coldly."I asked about you in your office half an hour ago so we could have lunch together," Yuna said with a bright smile. "But I learned from the guard you were still in court, so
“Did you know you swallowed your children a while ago?”Emmeline took a moment to process Zavian's rather crude comment about her supposedly swallowing their unborn children. After a momentary pause, she lightly tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention."Enough with that, sir. You're embarrassing me," she chided, though her tone was more amused than truly scandalized.A sarcastic smile curved Zavian's lips as he leaned in closer with his voice taking on a darker, more suggestive timbre. "What a dirty woman you are to swallow your children without mercy after they've come all this way, thinking your womb would embrace them."For a fleeting moment, Emmeline did feel a pang of remorse over his words. But she quickly recovered her wits, determined not to let him gain the upper hand so easily."And you're a bad father for throwing your children into my mouth in the first place!" she countered shrewdly.Zavian let out a deep chuckle that seemed to reverberate through Emmeline's very c
Emmeline leaned in towards Zavian and blew a hot breath against his earlobe. "I doubt I'll be the only loser," she said sultry and teasing.Her hands slid over his broad shoulders, kneading them gently. Even though she was standing behind him, the subtle relaxation of his muscles under her touch was clear to see."You seem to get a kick out of causing a stir when everyone's oblivious," Emmeline continued, "Just like that day in my restaurant when you asked me to stroke you under the table." She paused for effect and added with a smirk, "What I did just now is no different."Zavian turned abruptly at this. He grabbed Emmeline's left hand and pulled her towards him without rising from his seat.It was so sudden that Emmeline almost lost her balance but managed to steady herself by gripping the edge of the table."What's wrong with you?" she grumbled. "You nearly tripped me up there!" She shot him an unimpressed look."The difference is I was actually doing important work and not playing
Emmeline could feel a rush of heady power thrumming through her veins as she held his burning stare, silently communicating that this tantalizing game of cat-and-mouse between them was just beginning.The defense lawyer launched into his arguments, but Emmeline barely heard a word..."Your Honor, members of the jury, my client is an upstanding citizen who was an exemplary employee at his workplace for years. He never caused any trouble or gave anyone a single reason to doubt his character. And most crucially, he has an ironclad alibi for the time when these heinous crimes were committed.""Objection!" The prosecutor jumped up from his seat, nearly knocking over his chair in his haste.He pointed an accusatory finger at the defense. "That alleged alibi is highly dubious and suspicious at best."All eyes turned to Zavian. His penetrating gaze swept over the court before settling on the prosecutor. "On what grounds are you calling the credibility of the alibi into question?"The prosecuto
It was Monday morning and Emmeline was up at the crack of dawn, eagerly getting dolled up for her day at the courthouse.She couldn't stop thinking about her lover all the time. Even when she lay beside Richard at night, her longing for Zavian wracked her nerves like a drug addict needing their next dose.She remembered his reckless desire to visit him during a court hearing, and the thrill of risk that accompanied it.Emmeline decided then and there that she would take him up on his invitation, consequences be damned.Today, she wanted to look sophisticated and polished, yet also alluring enough to drive Zavian wild - the kind of outfit that straddled the line between professional and provocative.After much deliberation, Emmeline decided on a fitted gray skirt suit that hugged her curves in all the right places. The skirt was made from a stretchy wool blend that clung to her toned thighs, the hem falling just a few tantalizing inches above her knees. She paired it with a crisp white
"Who was that guy who snuck out the back door of your house two days ago?" Minnie suddenly asked pointedly.Emmeline's eyes widened in shock. She forgot how to breathe for a moment, feeling trapped by Minnie's question.She knew Minnie must be referring to Zavian - who else would have been leaving through her back door like that?Emmeline hadn't prepared herself to face a confrontation like this, so she was unable to find a convincing excuse right away.After a charged pause, she smiled nervously. "And who else could it have been other than Richard, my husband?"She refrained from looking directly at Minnie, afraid of what she might see in her friend's eyes."I can give you more than one reason why that guy couldn't have been Richard," Minnie replied in a confident, assured tone.Emmeline's arms were resting on top of her stomach, and she couldn't control the trembling in them as Minnie started ticking off her reasons on her fingers."Firstly, your husband arrived home just a short tim
A few days passed in a blink.Minnie texted Emmeline asking for accompany to the facial care center the following day.Emmeline didn't hesitate to accept the invitation because her skin was in a terrible state, giving her an irreplaceable opportunity for some pampering.The doorbell rang after lunch the next day. Emmeline swiftly opened it, knowing who her guest was.Minnie was wearing a short gray knit dress under her brown wool coat, while Emmeline had on fitted jeans and an olive green peacoat."Right on schedule, Minnie," she said cheerfully.Minnie always hugged her whenever they met. But this time, she just stared at Emmeline's face intently as though the latter suddenly grew two horns.Emmeline wiped her cheeks self-consciously. "Why are you staring at me? Is there something on my face?"Minnie snapped out of her daze and shook her head quickly. "Oh no, I was just thinking about the kitchen faucet and whether I turned it off."Emmeline didn’t think much of her friend’s behavio
Emmeline felt her blood turn to ice, the pulsating waves of the washing machine beneath her suddenly lost their allure as the reality of Richard's return hit her.Her eyes darted to Zavian, who maintained an unnerving calm."Shit, Richard's home. What should we do?" she whispered with panic.Zavian's expression shifted. His usual devilish charm was now laced with a dark intent that Emmeline had come to recognize as his plotting look."Fasten your seatbelts, we'll complete the euphoria trip spoiled by his return!" he declared with a mischievous grin.Emmeline's chest swelled with air. "Have you lost your mind, sir? My husband has come home! What if he comes looking for me?" she muttered in disbelief. However, Zavian ignored her protest.He resumed expertly teasing her breasts.Emmeline fined his touch both soothing and infuriating under the circumstances."I doubt he will come to the laundry room. Until then, I’ll drown you in ecstasy. The excitement is beyond thrilling. The feeling of