Chapter 66: Iris: Heightened senses

IRIS: I’m home!

I send the message to Lucas, flopping on my bed and taking off my new heels. They smell so good and look cute but my toes.

My toes!

They hurt like hell, even though the shoes are exactly my size. It’s only during times like this that I hate heels, but damnit I can’t help but wear them. I mean, aside from looking so good, they allow me to be sexy, cute, and professional.

How cool is that?

My phone vibrates beside me and I immediately check the message Lucas sent me.

LUCAS: How was your weekend princess?

I smile at myself. Since when did I upgrade from baby to princess?

IRIS: It was a blast. How about yours?

LUCAS: It was dull without you. I miss you *heart emoji*

Clasping my face and flopping my entire body in my sheets, I let out one ridiculous giggle. Does this man know what he’s doing to me? I’m fucking on edge damnit. If it wasn’t for the event, I’m pretty sure I’d have confessed to him by now.

Adjusting myself, I return to my phone, intensely blushing as I reply to his message.

IRIS: I miss you too.

The message is immediately replied to.

LUCAS: Then why don’t you come see me whilst collecting your clothes?

Right. My clothes. I have been procrastinating going to his house to collect my stuff for the past few days. Guess I can’t do that now that he brought the topic up. Besides, this is a good opportunity to meet up with him

IRIS: I’ll come under one condition.

LUCAS: What is it?

IRIS: You don’t tell Tim and Paul that I’m coming.

LUCAS: Deal. You have my word on that.

Without wasting any more time, I rush to my wardrobe and rummage it until I find the perfect outfit—a flowy sundress with sandals, paired with a gold statement necklace. Collecting my phone and keys from my bag, I rush downstairs.

"Where are you going?" Grandma calls out, cutting vegetables for tonight’s dinner.

"I have to run an errand," I reply, rushing past her in the kitchen and taking a banana from the fruit basket. Peeling it, I take a bite and moan delightfully. "Mhmm, this tastes so good."

"Is the errand perhaps, Lucas Andrews?" Grandma asks, not taking her eyes off the knife. If she did, she might have noticed me choking on a piece of chewed banana.

Hitting my chest with teary eyes, I take a glass of water and down it. "W-wha do you mean?"

Grandma turns around with a mischievous smile on her face. "Hey, don’t play dumb with me, I was once a young woman too you know."

"It’s really not what you think," I lie.

Slowly nodding she turns back to her vegetables. "Okay, whatever you say. Now go...before your boyfriend starts freaking out," she whispers the last part but I hear it anyways.

"Grandma!"

"What? It’s just a lady’s intuition! You’ll understand once you’re old enough like me."

Smiling, I turn on my heel. "Tell Grandpa I’m gone shopping when he wakes up," I yell out, already at the door and waving at Grandma.

I hear a faint "okay" from her before closing the door behind my back and rushing to the car park. The breeze outside is soft on my skin, and so is the sunlight—it’s warm and radiant. My heart is beating in a matching symphony, low yet powerful enough to get my nerves high.

I know it’s because I’m about to meet Lucas, but a part of me is also scared that I’m going to meet him. How am I going to react? What should I say to him? Every time we’re alone together, I feel like I’ll confess to him. That’s how strong the realization that I love him has struck me.

Ugh, let’s just get this over with.

★★★★★

I arrive at the mansion a few hours later. I’ve never considered it before but the track distance between Lucas’ gates and his house could be used for sports—it’s almost half a kilometer distance.

I pull up in the parking lot, filled with a considerable range of cars—the big ones. It’s like a reminder to warn me that the man I like is a fucking millionaire and the heir to a billion-dollar company. Everything about his place, from the outside to the inside feels like being in a reality TV show.

It’s all too good to be true.

"You’re here," comes Lucas’ voice. Another thing about him is that makes me weak to the core. His voice is as if a hot angel fell from heaven and was allowed to live and date as humans do. It’s so perfect, just the right amount of bass and melody.

"Yeah," I reply, not able to produce more words as I stare in awe at his face, my insides doing summersaults as my blood pumps in every direction. If there’s one thing I’m glad about falling in love with Lucas, it’s his looks.

At least love wasn’t blind in my case, it actually had magnifying glasses on and zoomed in on him like a telescope.

"Wanna come in?" Lucas asks, stroking the back of his neck. For the first time since agreeing to be his fake mistress, there is an invisible force between us that’s either pushing or pulling, but it’s there.

Nodding at Lucas, I let the force pull me in. Lucas opens the door for me, avoiding my eyes as he gestures for me to enter. If this was a few days ago, I’d have misinterpreted his gesture, but something about today feels different.

Maybe it was my talk with Doctor Williams that made me wake, or maybe I’ve just grown out of my shell, but being aware of Lucas being aware of me feels good. For the first time, I feel like I can tempt him and get a genuine reaction from him.

"Iris!" Paul shouts from the stairs, rushing down with my suitcase even though it’s packed.

Turning to Lucas, I give him a playful glare. "I thought I told you not to tell them."

"I didn’t. He’s just smart that’s all," Lucas defends himself, looking back at me with those green eyes. God, I never knew I’d love green this much.

"He didn’t," comes Tim’s faux posh British accent as he struts to where Lucas and I are standing, teacup in hand. "We heard your voice on the intercom when you were talking to the guards, then we butchered your boyfriend with questions."

"Wow, you guys are like three rich friends who donated money and bought a penthouse far away from trouble to live in," I fake laugh at them, only to be met with a deadly silence.

Sliding over to Lucas, I gesture for him to lean towards my ear. "Was my joke that dry?"

"Yes, and they hate being called incompetent whilst at work," Lucas whispers back.

"I didn’t call them incompetent!"

"No, but they’re overthinkers."

"We can hear you!" Tim calls out, turning on his heel. "And for the record, I am the best butler in the world."

Whatever you say, Tim.

Paul is the only one left smiling after Tim storms off in a fit of rage. He still has my suitcase in his hands, which he begins pulling toward the door the next moment, an unreadable expression on his face.

Not caring about Lucas glaring daggers at him, Paul hovers over my face, looking down at me with a pouty expression. Puppies. The men in this mansion are like puppies.

"When are you going to return here? I miss having a book buddy."

Aww. They’re clingy too.

"I don’t know buddy, but I’ll come and visit every chance I get so we can read more books together," I smile up at him and he mirrors my expression.

"And what about your book?"

"I’m uploading it online tomorrow. Let’s hope I get a contract and make some money from the application like you guys promised."

"Send me the link once you’re back home, okay?"

I nod.

"Thanks. I’ll be taking this to the car park now."

"Please do." We both face Lucas, a chilling effect immediately flooding us when we see his expression. It’s as if he’s jealous that I’m giving Paul all my attention.

The poor guy immediately escapes us, rushing down the large driveway as he makes his way to the cars.

Now it’s just Lucas and me. Alone.

"Let’s go take some of your belongings that you left in your room," Lucas breaks the silence, and before I even think it through, I nod at him.

I walk up the staircase with him, savoring every one of them and imagining him caring for me whilst he took two of them at a time. He’s so strong and masculine, yet gentle and understanding. A book boyfriend in real life damnit.

When we reach my room, Lucas opens it and gestures for me to enter, which I do happily. I take less than four steps toward the bed before the door is shut with a loud thud behind me.

When I turn around, I see him looking at me, the kind of glare that sends a message before he even speaks. The kind of glare that makes me go weak in the knees, and wet between my legs.

"I missed you," Lucas laments, letting go of the door and taking large strides until he’s standing before me.

"Can I kiss you, Iris?"

Why the fuck do I find him asking for permission so sexy and cute?

"Yeah, go ahead, Lucas."

Unlike the times we’ve kissed before, Lucas lowers himself onto my lips slowly. His touch on my neck is sensual, a lover’s touch if I do say so myself. He gently strokes my skin, his other hand landing just above my ass, squeezing lightly.

When our lips finally crash, all the senses in my body go on high alert and I arch my back.

I love this man. I love him so much I could die.

★★★★★

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read