Lucian‘s face fell slightly. “I‘ll leave you to your work, Mr. Farwell. I‘m just here for a drink. Don‘t feel the need to entertain me.”
Roxanne inclined her head at him before turning to head to the bar. The bar was filled with expensive wine, as they were in a presidential suite worthy of the name. Some bottles were even vintage.
Roxanne did not know much about wine other than red wine was a sleeping aid. After perusing the selection, she opened a bottle at random.
When Lucian heard the sound of a bottle opening, he turned around to glance at Roxanne‘s back. Although he could not see which bottle she had opened, he reminded her, “Red wine will cause a massive hangover. Don‘t drink too much.”
Roxanne grunted nonchalantly in response.
The sound of Roxanne pouring herself wine was the only thing audible in the ensuing silence of the suite.
Lucian‘s attention was so focused on her that the contents of his email did not register to him.
Roxanne quickly finished a glass of wine, but she did not feel any drowsiness during a pause for a few seconds to reflect upon her sobriety.
Exasperated, she poured herself another glass. Before she knew it, she had had five drinks.
Roxanne was beginning to feel drowsy when she came back to her senses.
Dimly aware that she could not drink anymore, Roxanne got up to return to her room after tidying up the bar. However, she found her legs giving way when she stood up.
She gave a low moan as she staggered to her feet.
Just when she thought she was going to fall, a large hand wrapped around her waist. Lucian‘s scent wafted into her nose the next second.
“I told you to go easy on the red wine.” Lucian sounded upset.
The woman would have made a fool of herself if he hadn‘t been paying attention.
Roxanne could not bring herself to answer although she had heard him. Upon noticing how warm his embrace was, she snuggled against him.
Lucian‘s eyes flashed when he noticed her movements. His grp around her waist grew tighter.
“How are you feeling? Can you walk?”
Roxanne nodded and attempted to take a step forward, but she could not muster up the energy. Her legs felt like jelly, and she almost fell out of Lucian‘s arms merely from lifting a foot.
Frowning at the state of her intoxication, Lucian swept her into his arms.
Roxanne felt herself being swept off her feet before she could process what was going
on.
“I can manage…”
Lucian gazed down at her. “Let me send you back. Quiet. Don‘t wake Essie up.”
Essie…
Only then did Roxanne remember the little girl, her roommate for the night. She obediently fell silent at Lucian‘s words.
With the woman in his arms, Lucian took two steps forward before sensing she had turned and was leaning her head on his shoulder.
He looked down and saw that she was already unconscious. Her cheeks were still flushed because of the alcohol.
Lucian‘s heart softened, and he slowed down.
“Benny…” Roxanne muttered in her sleep as they were ascending the stairs. She sounded distraught.
Lucian felt something pricking his heart. He knew that she must be dreaming about losing the boy.
Although he knew that the ordeal had scarred Roxanne, the true extent of it was a revelation to him.
Lucian‘s arm tensed when the muttering became incessant. “Benny is back,” he assured her softly. “He‘s fine now.“
Lucian carried Roxanne all the way to the room. Once he entered, his eyes darkened when he saw that Estella had rolled over to the edge of the big bed and was still sleeping soundly
That was not how she was at home. She would sleep in the same position through the night, almost without moving an inch. Is she moving so much because she‘s in a new environment? Or is it because she feels more at home around Roxanne?
Holding that thought, Lucian gently put Roxanne down before walking over to the other side to carry Estella to the middle of the bed.
“Daddy…” Estella muttered, half awake, thinking she was dreaming.
Lucian caressed her cheek as he watched her go back to sleep.
When she was quiet again, Lucian glanced over at Roxanne and went to pour her a glass of water.
Feeling someone pulling her up, Roxanne opened her eyes in a daze, only to see Lucian staring at her with a frown.
“Drink some water. It‘ll help with the hangover.” His voice rang out lowly beside her ear.
At that moment, Roxanne felt everything was so surreal.
Am I dreaming? What hangover? Did I drink?
“Lucian?” she called out hesitantly.
“Yes?”
It‘s really him. Roxanne narrowed her eyes, and a pitiful look slowly crept over her
face.
Lucian frowned at the change in her expression.
To his surprise, Roxanne suddenly leaned into his embrace and even rubbed her face against his chest endearingly.
Lucian froze where he was with his gaze locked on the woman in his arms. He did not dare to move a muscle.
He had never once expected her to behave so intimately toward him ever since they met one another again.
Although he was fully aware that he should keep a distance because she was only acting like that because she was drunk, he still wanted to keep her close.
In fact, if it were not for the fear of disturbing her sleep, he would have hugged her tighter.
This is ridiculous. Lucian could not believe he just caught himself wanting more.
Over the years, he had never treated anyone that way, not until he met Roxanne.
“Lucian…” the woman mumbled sadly in her sleep beside his ear.
His arms tensed up when her voice called him back to reality. He wanted to tell her that he was right beside her.
Feeling his embrace, Roxanne looked up at him in a stupor and murmured, “Why are you so cruel? Am I still not good enough for you? I love you so much, but you‘ve never liked me the slightest bit.”
Her words pierced his heart like a knife over and over again.
It pained him beyond words when he thought of what she had said, but that was not the end of her questioning.
“Why? What else should I do to make you love me? Tell me. I‘ll change. Why are you so quiet?” Roxanne reached for his face frantically when she did not get a response. “Come on! What should I do to make you love me?”
A frown surfaced on Lucian‘s remorse–stricken face as he grabbed her hands. “You‘re drunk, Roxanne.”
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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