Chapter 82: REN? WHAT... WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?
Chapter 83
Ren
Lumi lay limp against my bare chest, her body soft, warm, and thoroughly exhausted in my arms.
I looked down at her, tracing the delicate curve of her spine with my thumb. She looked completely undone, her skin glowing under the muted light streaming through the smart glass.
"Come here," I rumbled softly, my voice still rough from the raw edge of our release.
Before she could process the words, I gathered her up in my arms, standing up from the leather chair with her cradled securely against my chest.
She let out a small, sleepy murmur, her arms instinctively looping around my neck, resting her head right over my hammering heart.
I carried her across the room toward the hidden door at the far corner of the suite—the private bathroom I’d built in the office for times I couldn’t go home.
Stepping inside, I walked straight into the massive, glass-enclosed walk-in shower, reaching over with one hand to twist the heavy brass dial.
Within seconds, a warm, heavy torrent of water fell down from the overhead rainfall showerhead, filling the space with a soothing, steam-filled hiss.
I set her down gently on her feet, but kept my hands anchored tight around her waist so her trembling legs wouldn’t give out.
The moment the warm water hit us, washing away the slick, sticky heat of our skin, Lumi let out a long, shuddering sigh of pure bliss.
Her dark hair plastered against her neck and back in wet, glistening waves, water droplets catching on her eyelashes as she looked up at me through the heavy mist.
Looking at her standing there under the pouring stream, drenched and breathtaking, something inside me snapped all over again.
The instinct to mark, to hold, and to possess roared straight back to the surface.
"Ren..." she gasped as I turned her around, gently pressing her hands flat against the wet tile wall in front of us.
"Stay right there, babe," I growled low into her ear, my chest flushing hot against her wet back.
I stepped up flush behind her, my hands sweeping over her wet hips, guiding her to part her legs just a fraction wider.
With a smooth, single tilt of my hips, I lined my revived, aching dick against her slick core and drove straight back inside her from behind.
Her head cracked back against my shoulder, a sharp, shattered moan tearing from her throat, instantly drowned out by the steady rush of the shower.
"Oh God... Ren!" she whimpered, her fingers gripping the slick wall for leverage as I set a hard, rhythmic pace, driving deep into her tight, wet heat under the pounding water.
Years ago, I’d swore to myself that this office would remain strictly business...an untouchable fortress reserved only for power, contracts, and calculated growth.
I had explicitly told myself I would never bring personal desire into this space, never mix my private world with the heavy empire resting on my shoulders.
Yet here I was.
Standing in my shower, pinning the only woman I had ever loved against the marble, taking her from behind.
And I loved every fucking second of it.
I wrapped one broad arm tightly around her waist, pulling her flush against my chest so there wasn’t a single space left between us, my other hand reaching down to find her swollen clit.
I thrust into her with a fierce, possessive need, my mouth tracking wet, hot bites down the crook of her neck while the warm water washed over us both.
"You’ve completely ruined me, Lumi," I growled against her skin, my pace turning wild and unyielding as the water roared around us. "And I’m never letting you go."
The warm water kept pouring over us, but all I could focus on was the rhythm of our bodies.
Every deep push pressed her cool palms flat against the wall, my chest hot and steady against her back.
Lumi’s breath hitched in sharp, breathless gasps, her body tightening around mine with every move I made.
"Ren... please," she whispered, her head falling back against my shoulder.
I reached around her waist, my thumb finding her sweet spot and pressing firm into her wet heat.
"I’ve got you, babe," I rumbled against her jaw, my teeth lightly catching the soft skin of her neck. "Come for me again. Right here."
That single touch sent her over the edge. Lumi cried out, a high, broken sound that echoed off the tile as her whole body went stiff with another intense release.
Her body clamped tight around me, wiping out the last bit of my self-control. With a low growl, I pushed deep into her heat and let go, spilling inside her as the water washed over us.
We stayed like that for a long time, held close, our heavy breathing slowly evening out in the warm steam.
After a while, I used my hands to wash her up slowly and she did the same.
When we were through with the bath and messing around, I reached over and turned off the water. I grabbed two oversized towels, wrapped one snugly around her and tied the second around my waist.
She was completely relaxed in my arms, her eyes half-closed with a soft, dazed smile on her face.
I carried her out of the bathroom and back into the suite.
We got dressed using the extra clothes in my closet that I’d ordered to be bought days ago.
I sat her down on the leather couch, and she instantly curled up against my side, resting her head over my heart.
Just as I pulled a soft blanket over her legs, my phone lit up with a low chime.
It was a text from Meg, it was a picture of Theo fast asleep on a giant beanbag in the playroom, a half-built Lego castle resting beside him while a guard stood quietly outside the door.
"He’s fast asleep," I murmured, holding the screen out for Lumi.
She let out a soft laugh, her eyes warm with relief.
"He looks so peaceful."
"He’s safe, Lumi. You both are," I said, leaning down to press a kiss to her forehead.
She turned her face toward mine, her fingers lightly gripping my shirt. The heavy tension from earlier had completely vanished, replaced by a quiet, solid calm.
"You know... A few days ago, I was a little terrified... I thought everything was moving too fast." She whispered softly, looking up at me.
"And now?" I asked low.
"Now, I know...fast isn’t the pace but the fear I felt. And I love how it’s moving." she said, resting her palm flat over my heart.
A quiet smile touched my lips. I wrapped my hand over hers, squeezing tight then placed a soft peck on her lips.
After a while, we headed down to the fifth floor to pick up Theo.
When Meg opened the door to the executive playroom, Theo was just sitting up on a big velvet beanbag, rubbing his eyes while holding his plastic dragon.
The second he spotted Lumi, his face lit up, and he scrambled straight into her arms, babbling happily about the Lego castle he’d built.
By the time we finally made it back to her apartment, the night was long gone, the city completely dead quiet under a late-night sky.
We hadn’t rushed a single second of it. We’d taken our time after leaving, we stopped at a quiet diner so Theo could eat his favorite pancakes while Lumi and I shared quiet, lingering looks across the booth.
Seeing her laugh in that warm light, completely relaxed with a full stomach and a sleepy child by her side, made something settle deep in my chest.
Theo was fast asleep in my arms before we even made it up the second-floor stairs, his little chin tucked against my shoulder, wrapped tight in his soft blanket.
Lumi unlocked her front door, nudging it open into the pitch-black apartment.
I stepped inside behind her, the dark living room quiet and peaceful. Before she could reach for the light switch, I wrapped my free arm around her waist, pulling her back flush against my chest.
She let out a soft, breathy gasp that melted straight into a smile against my neck.
I leaned down in the dark, capturing her lips in a deep, slow kiss that tasted like pure promise.
"I miss you," I murmured low against her mouth, my grip on her waist tightening just enough to make her breath catch.
Lumi giggled softly against my lips, her small hands resting gently against my chest to keep from jostling Theo.
"We’ve been together all through today, Ren" she scolded playfully.
"I know but I still miss you and I know you understand." I kissed her between every word.
"I do not understand what you mean," she teased in a hushed whisper, her warm breath fanning over my skin. "But let’s take Theo to his room first. Them might let you explain what you mean."
"Fair enough," I rumbled softly, reluctant to let her go.
She slipped away from my grip, her hand sweeping across the wall toward the main light switch.
Click.
Bright light instantly flooded the living room, blinding us for a split second.
Lumi turned around with a soft smile still lingering on her lips...and instantly froze dead in her tracks.
All the warmth drained from her face in a single heartbeat. Her jaw dropped, her breath catching in a sharp, horrified gasp as if every drop of blood in her body had suddenly turned to ice.
She staggered back half a step, her hand flying to her mouth, looking as if she’d just come face-to-face with a ghost.
My instincts flared instantly. I shifted Theo securely into the crook of my left arm, my right hand dropping instinctively to shield Lumi as my eyes snapped across the room.
Standing right in the center of her living room, frozen like a statue, was Neve.
She was supposed to be states away. She wasn’t supposed to be standing in her best friend’s dark apartment in the middle of the night.
Neve’s eyes were wide with shock. Her gaze darted from Lumi’s kiss-swollen lips, down to my bare arm wrapped around her waist, and then locked straight onto Theo sleeping soundly in my arms.
The silence in the room was deafening.
"Lumi?" Neve’s voice cracked, low and completely stunned, as her eyes slowly drifted up to mine. "Ren? What... what the hell is going on here?"