Chapter 30

Lucius was utterly speechless. It was true that there were no other guest rooms in the house. When he first bought this villa, he'd never intended to host outsiders, except for housekeepers who had their own quarters. Refusing to waste time on pointless bickering, Valerie said, "It's late now. Let's get some sleep." But with an invited presence in what had always been his private space, Lucius couldn't possibly fall asleep. Instead, he leaned in and said, "If we're going to share the same bed every night from now on, I think we need a serious talk. After all, you can't sleep in my bed as you wish." The bulk of his towering frame blotted out half the light from the ceiling lamp, and his imposing presence nearly suffocated Valerie. "What do you want to talk about?" she asked. He pulled up a chair and sat facing her, lazily crossing his long legs. "You," he spat. "Didn't Keane compile a file on me for you?" "There are some things I prefer to hear directly from you," Lucius firml