Run: 2026-02-17-01KHMMC98FKT0RKXZTZ0CZE1QB

Aurora Carter stood frozen in the doorway of her flat, one hand still gripping the knob, the other raised to knock. Her bright blue eyes widened as they landed on the figure lounging against the frame of her open door. "Lucien Moreau," she breathed, the name feeling strange and familiar on her tongue all at once. He looked the same as the last time she'd seen him a year ago — slicked-back platinum hair, tailored charcoal suit, and an ivory-handled cane that concealed a thin blade. His heterochromatic eyes, one amber and one black, sparkled with a mixture of amusement and something darker, more dangerous. "What a pleasant surprise," Lucien drawled in his smooth French accent. "I was beginning to think you wouldn't return home tonight." He glanced at the watch on his wrist. "Or is it technically tomorrow?" Aurora finally found her voice. "What are you doing here, Lucien?" She straightened her shoulders, trying to calm the racing of her heart. He had a way of making everything feel unbalanced. "I'm here to see you, of course," he replied, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "May I come in?" She hesitated for a moment before stepping aside and allowing him to enter. He brushed past her, his scent — something spicy and expensive — washing over her. She closed the door behind him, her fingers lingering on the three deadbolts that secured it. "I see you still live above a curry house," Lucien remarked, glancing around the cramped one-bedroom flat. "I always did find that charming." His gaze landed on the tabby cat curled up on the back of the sofa. "And who is this?" "Ptolemy," Aurora replied, kneeling to scratch the cat between its ears. "He's Eva's cat, but she's letting me keep him while I'm staying here." "Ah, Eva," Lucien said with a wry smile. "How is she? I haven't seen her since —" "Since you disappeared," Aurora finished for him, rising to face him. "Without a word. Without a trace." Lucien had the grace to look sheepish. "About that —" "No," Aurora cut him off sharply. "You don't get to explain yourself. Not now. It's been a year, Lucien. A year since you walked out of my life — out of all our lives — without a single explanation." "And yet here I am," he said softly, taking a step closer to her. "Back in your life, whether you like it or not." "I don't like it," she snapped, even as her traitorous heart leaped at his proximity. "I don't want you here." "You never could lie very well," Lucien murmured, reaching up to tuck a stray lock of her black hair behind her ear. "I can see it in your eyes. You missed me." Aurora jerked away from his touch, her cheeks flaming. "You arrogant bastard. You have no idea what I feel." "Don't I?" he asked, his voice low and seductive. "I remember the way you used to look at me, Aurora. The way your body would respond to my touch —" "Stop," she gasped, her breath hitching in her throat even as her hands trembled with the desire to reach out and touch him. "Don't do this. Not now." "Or what?" Lucien challenged, his eyes darkening with desire. "What will you do if I kiss you right now, Aurora? Will you push me away? Or will you kiss me back, like you want to?" "I —" She swallowed hard, her eyes dropping to his lips. "I don't know." Lucien cupped her face with his hands, his thumbs stroking her cheekbones. "Yes, you do," he whispered. "You just don't want to admit it." And then he was kissing her, his lips hot and demanding on hers. Aurora felt herself melting into the kiss, her hands fisting in his suit jacket as she pulled him closer. She'd dreamed of this moment so many times over the past year, ached for his touch, his taste, the feel of his body against hers. But reality was so much better than her dreams. Lucien's hands slid down her back, pulling her flush against him as he deepened the kiss, his tongue tangling with hers. She could feel the heat of his body through his clothes, the hard planes of his chest and abdomen pressing against her. She was losing herself in the kiss, in the feel of him, when suddenly he pulled back, his breathing harsh and ragged. "Aurora," he said, his voice rough with desire, "I need you. I need to be inside you. Now." She nodded mutely, her own desire clouding her thoughts and making it difficult to think straight. She let him lead her to the bedroom, her heart pounding in anticipation. This was happening. After a year of dreaming about him, fantasizing about him, she was finally going to have him. Lucien wasted no time in stripping off her clothes, his hands roaming over her body with a feverish intensity. He kissed his way down her throat, his teeth scraping lightly over her pulse point, making her shiver with need. She reached for the buttons of his suit jacket, desperate to feel his skin against hers. They tumbled onto the bed together, their limbs intertwining as they lost themselves in each other's touch. Lucien's hands were everywhere, caressing, teasing, driving her wild with need. She could feel the hard length of his erection pressing against her thigh, and she ached to have him inside her. "Please," she gasped, wrapping her legs around his waist and urging him closer. "Lucien, please —" He froze above her, his eyes dark with lust and something else — regret? "Aurora," he said, his voice strained, "I can't do this. I can't be with you, not like this." She stared up at him in shock, her body still throbbing with unfulfilled desire. "What are you talking about?" she demanded, her voice trembling. "You just said you needed me —" "I do need you," he said, his voice rough with emotion. "I need you more than I've ever needed anyone or anything in my life. But I can't be with you. Not when I know I'm no good for you." Aurora felt tears prick at her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. "Get out," she whispered, her voice breaking. "Get out of my flat, and don't ever come back." Lucien looked down at her, his expression pained, but he nodded once before rising from the bed and quickly dressing. "I'm sorry," he said softly, his voice heavy with regret. "I never wanted to hurt you. I love you, Aurora. I've always loved you." And then he was gone, leaving her alone and aching in the bed they'd almost shared. She curled up into a ball, her body wracked with silent sobs as she buried her face in her pillow. She didn't know how long she lay there crying, but slowly, her tears began to subside, leaving behind a hollow, empty feeling in her chest. She loved him too. She'd always loved him, even when she'd hated him for leaving her. But loving someone wasn't always enough — sometimes, it just wasn't meant to be. And as much as it hurt, as much as she wished things could be different, she knew that she and Lucien were never going to be together. Not in the way she'd always wanted. It was over. Whatever they'd had, whatever they could have been, it was over now, and she needed to accept that. She needed to move on, to forget about him and the way he'd made her feel — the way he'd made her heart race and her body burn with desire.