Chapter 146 – You Are Shaless
Mira glanced around, then leaned forward with a sparkle in her eye and too much confidence in her voice.
"How about this then?" she said. "We just ca for dinner."
Rava arched a brow. "That’s a lie."
"No, seriously." Mira held up her hands like she hadn’t just strutted in here like a cat with a stolen jewel. "Just dinner. You two can do whatever you want after this. No one’s stopping you."
Elyndra nodded nervously beside her. "We brought wine. And macarons."
"I have them here," Rava said.
"Thanks." Mira didn’t miss a beat, completely ignored what she said. "But also—you can’t bla us. After the trick you pulled tonight," she looked at Lux now, smirking, "after the way you stripped that duke from his reputation, peeled him like a smug, overcooked grape... you really think we wouldn’t want to know more?"
Her tone dropped just enough to make Ely choke softly.
"I an..." Mira continued, voice velvet-slick, "you waltz into that auction like so half-lidded devil god, drop one hell of a drama bomb, and then leave like you didn’t just rearrange a noble hierarchy. That’s not sothing you let go, darling. That’s sothing you study."
The room went quiet for half a breath.
Because damn it, she wasn’t wrong.
Lux sighed.
Not dramatically.
Just enough to let them know he was aware of the theatrics and a little too amused by them.
He set down his glass, turned to Rava, and asked with infuriating calm, "You take the decision."
He leaned back like a king giving space for his queen to swing the axe.
"As long as they don’t interrupt our night activities, I don’t care."
He paused.
Eyes gleaming.
"Unless, of course," he added, "you want them to join us."
Rava stared at him.
The girls stared at him.
Rava opened her mouth.
Closed it.
She wasn’t sure if she wanted to scream, throw sothing, or just lean across the table and kiss him until he stopped saying things like that.
Mira let out a soft, sultry laugh. "You are shaless."
Fiera cleared her throat. "Okay, for the record, I’m here for wine and stories, not an orgy." Then she spoke again in a much lower voice. "I guess..."
Elyndra, already pink in the cheeks, tried to vanish into her chair. "We really just wanted to know more about... you, Lux."
The way she said his na—soft, reverent—made Rava twitch.
Lux noticed. Of course he did.
He turned his head, just slightly, gaze landing on Rava like a slow caress.
"You alright, sweetheart?" he murmured, like they were alone again. Like there wasn’t a table full of rich, beautiful, very nosy won watching this like a slow-burn soap opera.
Rava clenched her jaw. "I invited you. Not them."
He leaned closer. "Then say the word. I’ll have them removed."
He was serious.
Completely, deliciously serious.
But the damage was done. The wine was open.
Ely had unboxed the macarons and was lining them up like a nervous little squirrel in high heels.
Fiera had kicked off her shoes.
Mira was swirling her wine and already eyeing the centerpieces like she might redecorate mid-dinner.
Rava exhaled slowly.
You couldn’t undo a tornado.
You could only ride it out.
"Fine," she said. "Dinner only."
Mira perked up. "You an it?"
Rava gave her a look. "You’re literally winking."
"Oops."
Lux watched it all like it was his favorite show.
Which, to be fair, it probably was.
The dinner was almost normal.
Almost.
If you ignored how Mira asked Lux how much of his charm was natural versus enchanted.
If you ignored how Fiera kept side-eyeing Rava like she was ntally calculating her chances.
If you ignored how Elyndra whispered "CFO of Hell?" three separate tis and looked like she wanted to write a thesis on it.
But yeah, they didn’t believe him. Except Rava of course.
Rava barely tasted her food.
Not because it wasn’t good. The chef had made grilled bloodfish tail over infused rice with saffron and the lightest touch of frost basil.
No. It was just that Lux was there.
Sitting like sin in a tailored black shirt with two buttons open. Leaning back, long fingers wrapped around his wineglass, answering every question like a CEO in a hostile takeover with a very flirty PR team.
And he kept glancing at her.
Under the table, his leg brushed hers once.
Then again.
And then he didn’t move.
She pressed her thigh against his in a subtle warning.
He pressed back.
Harder.
Her breath hitched. No one noticed.
Or maybe they did, but pretended not to.
Mira was grinning too much.
Fiera was watching them now and clearly pretending not to.
And Ely... had stopped chewing.
Rava stabbed her fork into her food.
Lux murmured, "You sure you want to wait until after dinner?"
"You promised," she hissed under her breath.
"I did," he said, voice low and maddening. "But I also warned you. I’m a terrible influence."
Mira spoke up. "So! Lux, tell us your favorite thod of humiliation. Financial or social?"
He smiled. "Why choose?"
Fiera raised her glass. "That’s an acceptable answer."
Rava drained her wine.
She was going to die tonight.
Of thirst, rage, or the way Lux kept touching her under the table with the most devilish, casual intent.
Probably all three.
By the ti dessert ca, she was red-faced, fuming, and dangerously close to grabbing Lux by the collar and ending the night early.
Mira leaned back, sipping lazily. "So... how long have you two been together?"
Rava snapped, "None of your business."
Lux answered, "One day. Zero date. One ruined lipstick. More than a dozen orgasms."
Elyndra fainted.
Or dropped her fork.
Sa thing.
Mira made a dreamy, low sound that definitely wasn’t appropriate for dinner.
Fiera muttered, "That’s actually... pretty efficient."
But Rava didn’t hear any of them clearly anymore.
Because under the table, Lux’s hand had found her thigh.
Slow. Intentional. Unmistakable.
He hadn’t warned her. Hadn’t so much as glanced her way.
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