Lethal Temptation (by Michelle Ray) novel Chapter 116

116 So Far So Good

Mara

“I’ve emptied my father’s personal account,” Lucian said quietly. “He knows. Martha won’t get a cent more than her allowance. No extra money. No access to the estate’s funds.”

I looked at him, surprised.

“If she’s telling the truth, she should be fine-no reason to keep paying off this guy once her parents are under our roof. But if she keeps scrambling for cash after that… we’ll know she’s lying.”

I understood the strategy instantly. It was smart. A trap disguised as control. My chest tightened-not with fear, but with anticipation. I wanted to see how it would all unfold.

“I’ll still look for this Moongrove guy,” Lucian added. “If he’s real, I don’t want anything touching Darian’s

name.”

That made me smile, despite everything. They still had each other’s backs. Even after everything. Darian had found Jones for Lucian. And now Lucian was hunting down Alaric for Darian’s sake.

They were closer than either would ever admit.

Then his voice shifted, softer. Serious.

“Mara,” he said, and I turned to him. “I need you to stay out of Darian’s relationship. If anything happens to

that baby, Martha will blame you. No matter what. So stay away from Tiffany. Don’t talk about them. Don’t

interfere. Please.”

His eyes were pleading. Not in fear-out of care. I nodded slowly. He was right.

He reached over, dragging the cooler toward us. “I brought beer.”

I raised an eyebrow. “It’s the middle of the afternoon.”

He smirked. “It’s five o’clock somewhere.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. For the first time all day, it felt easy.

“You weren’t really going to the defense center, were you?” I asked, grinning.

Lucian burst out laughing. “Mara, it’s Saturday. I’ve only been married six months. You really think I’d spend

the day at work? No way. I just needed an excuse to leave the mansion. That place is cursed.”

He wasn’t wrong. Nighthorn mansion was heavy with tension-Martha, Tina, all the ghosts we hadn’t buried. I didn’t blame him for wanting out.

“Lucian,” I said, the laughter fading just enough to ask, “how are you going to handle co-parenting with Tina? With Joey in the picture?”

He sighed, opened a beer, and handed it to me. I took a sip. He cracked another for himself.

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“My father wants to raise the child. He’s already making plans,” he said. “I’ll figure it out. But not now. Not

here. I didn’t drag you out here to talk about them.”

His voice dipped, warm and low, and suddenly I was back in last night-his hands, his mouth, his body

against mine.

He looked at me like he knew exactly what I was thinking.

Lucian reached out and gently caressed my cheek between his thumb and forefinger. The touch was slow,

careful-almost reverent.

“You weren’t meant to enjoy your punishment, Mara,” Lucian murmured, his voice laced with teasing

authority.

I exhaled, heat blooming in my chest at the memory. That night had been… more than I ever expected. If that was punishment, maybe I needed to misbehave more often.

“Who said I did?” I said, feigning innocence.

Lucian c****d an eyebrow, unconvinced. “Your eyes say otherwise. Your body language says otherwise.”

He leaned in, breathing deep. “Your arousal definitely says otherwise.”

My cheeks flushed. He wasn’t wrong. I could still feel the ghost of the cuffs on my wrists, the tension of held-back pleasure, the way he’d undone me completely. That helplessness. That surrender. It wasn’t just

physical-it was consuming.

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