Flesh: Part Eight (The Flesh Series Book 8) by Sky Corgan

CHAPTER ONE

    Even though Lucian
has a hold of my wrists, I don't feel powerless. In fact, I feel like
my defenses are more powerful than ever before. Not only have I been
able to resist him, but I've also lashed out at him.
    It's over between
us. It's truly over. When I walk out his front door in a few minutes,
I won't be coming back. Ever. The spell is broken. I'm free from the
magnetic chains he's wrapped around me, pulling me in again and
again.
    "You're
clever." He looks me over. I can tell that he's impressed by my
emotional jab at him.
    "I'm leaving."
I apply force between his legs until he winces and lets me go,
stepping away with an expression that suggests he's surprised I'd go
so far as to hurt him to gain my freedom.
    I wrap my hand
around the doorknob and open the door, expecting the winds of
liberation to sweep over me. Instead, I'm met by a woman. A gorgeous
blonde bombshell in a short red dress and sunglasses.
    "Oh," she
sounds startled, her hand poised to ring the doorbell though she
quickly drops it to her side.
    I turn briefly to
look at Lucian, and he's already standing behind me, his hand
clutching the side of the door to open it wider while he smiles at
her. For the shortest of moments, jealousy rages through me. But then
I remember that I don't care anymore. I certainly shouldn't be
surprised that he was sleeping with someone else the entire time that
he was sleeping with me. That's just the kind of man he is.
    "Hello, Lora,"
Lucian greets the woman. "Could you give us just a minute? I'll
be right out."
    "Certainly."
She beams at him, her cherry lips parting slightly to reveal two rows
of immaculately white teeth.
    "It's fine,"
I begin to say, but the second my foot leaves the floor, Lucian is
pulling me back into the house and closing the door behind us. I spin
on my heels to face him. "What in the hell is wrong with you?"
    "Amy, please."
His expression is pleading. "Please stay. She's a client of
mine. This will only take a moment. I really want to talk to you
before you leave."
    "We've already
talked." I raise my hands as if I want to strangle him. I kind
of do.
    He gently places his
hands on top of mine, curling my fingers. "Please. I won't
advance on you again. I promise."
    To be honest, I'm
not sure if he's capable of talking to me without advancing on me.
It's not exactly one of his talents.
    "Please, Amy."
His eyes meet mine, and I feel trapped all over again.
    "Fine. Go talk
to your...client." I pull my hands out of his grasp and gesture
to the door. "But after she leaves, you get five minutes with
me. That's all. Do you understand?"
    He nods for half a
heartbeat before opening the door, stepping outside, and closing it
behind himself. A client. Yeah right. If she really is a client,
then he wouldn't care about me listening in on their conversation.
Not that it's any of my business.
    Maybe I should
listen in. What's the point though? I've made up my mind. And
besides, he's probably not going to say anything inappropriate to her
anyway, thinking that I'm going to be trying to listen in. My time is
better spent just sitting and waiting for him...or....
    I glance back
towards the hall. A tight feeling forms in my chest, the feeling you
get when you know you're about to do something really wrong—something
you'll probably get in big trouble for.
    I take a deep breath
before my feet carry me quickly across the marble floor, down the
hall, past so many doors to Lucian's bedroom. I flick the switch to
turn on the overhead light. This is a dangerous place for me to be,
but I have to see. I have to know.
    My vision is laser
targeted, my hand reaching out before I even get halfway across the
room. I pick up one of the picture frames on Lucian's bedside table,
the ones that are all facing down so I can't see them. The knot in my
chest doubles as my eyes focus on the beautiful brunette woman and
the little raven-haired boy smiling at the camera. There was another
person in the picture, but they were ripped