CHAPTER 304: CHAPTER 304: TERRACE

By the time dessert plates were cleared, delicate pastries drizzled in chocolate and fruit that Lucas had declared "too pretty to eat" before promptly devouring it, Trevor rose from his chair with the same quiet grace that had carried him all evening.

Lucas leaned back, swirling the last of his wine in its glass, one brow arched. "What, you’re done impressing me with portion sizes that barely count as food?"

Trevor’s mouth curved, warm and unshaken. "Not quite. Come."

Lucas tilted his head, suspicion flickering in the green of his eyes, but he slipped his hand into Trevor’s anyway, letting himself be guided past the dining hall and through a tall set of glass doors.

The air shifted the moment they stepped outside. Cooler, touched with the faint scent of night-blooming flowers carried up from the gardens below. Lanterns lined the terrace, their light soft and golden, casting no harsh shadows. And beyond the wrought-iron rail, the capital stretched endlessly, a sea of glittering lights, rooftops, and winding streets spilling like constellations at their feet.

Lucas froze, breath catching despite himself. "...You rented out the terrace."

Trevor’s violet eyes softened as he drew him closer, an arm slipping with unhurried certainty around his waist. "I reserved it. For us. No one else will step foot here tonight."

Lucas swallowed, his smirk faltering into something quieter, unguarded. "That’s... excessive."

Trevor bent just enough that his lips brushed Lucas’s temple, his voice low, intimate. "I can buy the building if you want."

Lucas huffed a laugh, tilting his head back to glance up at him. "You’re impossible. Who thinks of buying an entire building just to prove a point?"

Trevor’s mouth curved into the kind of smile that wasn’t smug but dangerously close. "A man who already owns too much and still wants more."

Lucas rolled his eyes, though the heat creeping up his neck betrayed him. "You really don’t know when to stop, do you?"

Trevor’s arm tightened slightly at his waist, pulling him just a fraction closer. "I do. I just don’t see why I should, especially with you."

That stole Lucas’s comeback for a moment. His lips parted, words lingering unspoken as the city stretched below them, the glow of lanterns painting Trevor’s profile in gold. The Duke, his Duke, looked less like a man feared by nobles and more like the one who pressed kisses against his temple just because he could.

Lucas exhaled, the smirk softening into something smaller. "...Romantic brute."

Trevor chuckled lowly and tipped his head, brushing his lips against Lucas’ mouth in a slow kiss. Lucas leaned in without hesitation, one hand curling against Trevor’s chest, the warmth of him stronger than the night air.

When they broke apart, Trevor didn’t move far, his lips still close enough that Lucas felt the words ghost across his skin. "Come with me."

Lucas arched a brow, trying to summon back his crooked grin. "More surprises? What did you do, plant my face in roses?"

Trevor only smiled, unbothered by the jab, and guided him further down the terrace. At its far end, tucked beneath a canopy of glass and iron strung with more lanterns, a space had been set just for them: a low table draped in linen, plush chairs angled toward the view, and a chilled bottle of wine waiting for them.

Lucas let out a soft laugh as he took in the setup. "Of course. Wine, lanterns, and a view worth more than my entire existence. Tell me, Trevor, is there a manual somewhere that teaches you how to outdo yourself at every turn?"

Trevor’s lips curved as he guided him toward the chairs, his hand at the small of Lucas’s back. "I don’t need one when I have you."

They sat, the soft cushions molding beneath them, the hum of the city dimmed to nothing but a distant backdrop. Trevor poured them both wine with his usual elegance, but Lucas barely touched his glass, his green eyes fixed on him instead.

The night air was warm enough that the terrace heaters hummed idly, casting a faint glow across Trevor’s sharp lines. His blazer caught the light, dark and immaculate, a picture of control. And something in Lucas itched to undo it.

"You know," Lucas drawled, setting his glass aside, "for all your planning, you forgot something."

Trevor turned his head, violet eyes steady. "What’s that?"

"This."

Lucas shifted, quick and fluid, straddling his lap before Trevor could reply. The Duke’s wineglass stilled midair, his breath catching as Lucas plucked it gently from his hand and set it aside on the table. Then his fingers slid down, curling into the lapels of Trevor’s blazer.

Trevor’s voice was low, threaded with heat. "Lucas..."

But Lucas only smirked, tugging the blazer down his shoulders until it slipped away entirely and left Trevor in nothing but his white shirt, the fabric clinging to broad shoulders and the solid strength beneath.

"There," Lucas murmured, his voice softer now, lips ghosting close to his jaw. "Better."

Trevor’s hands, which had stayed still until then, came alive, gripping Lucas’s waist, holding him with a force that felt as much like devotion as desire. His head tipped back slightly as Lucas brushed his mouth against his, the kiss hungry, lingering, and threaded with everything the night had been building toward.

Trevor’s breath hitched against his lips, the quiet sound swallowed by the kiss as his fingers pressed more firmly into Lucas’s waist, as though to remind him that he wasn’t going anywhere. The white shirt stretched faintly over his chest, the warmth of his body radiating through the thin fabric, sharp lines softened only by the way Lucas straddled him.

Lucas kissed him deeper, the kind of kiss that blurred teasing into confession, hands sliding over Trevor’s shoulders and down his chest, mapping strength he already knew too well. The cold of the summer night and lantern glow clung to them, but it was Trevor’s scent that pulled Lucas closer until their breaths tangled.

When they finally broke apart, Lucas’s forehead rested against Trevor’s, green eyes glinting with mischief even as his lips curved, swollen from the kiss. "You’re entirely too overdressed for a man sitting under lanterns with his mate."

Trevor’s answering smile was slow, violet eyes warm with something rarely shown beyond these walls. His thumbs stroked slow, deliberate circles against Lucas’s hips. "And you’re entirely too dangerous when you decide to take control."

Lucas laughed softly, low and wicked, though the sound wavered when Trevor’s hands flexed at his waist, holding him steady. He leaned in again, brushing another kiss against Trevor’s mouth, gentler this time, more intimate than hungry.

Trevor’s laugh rumbled low in his chest, the sound vibrating against Lucas’s lips before it slipped free. It was warm, unguarded, softer than the duke the world feared, and closer to the man Lucas had claimed.

He let his forehead rest briefly against Lucas’s, voice dropping into a tone that curled with amusement and heat alike. "If we stay out here much longer, the entire capital will hear me take you."

Lucas froze for a heartbeat, green eyes flashing wide before narrowing in mock outrage. "Trevor..."

But Trevor only smiled wider, violet eyes gleaming with that maddening mix of tenderness and certainty. His hands squeezed Lucas’ hips once, making it clear how close he was to his limit.

"Come home with me," he murmured, brushing his lips over Lucas’s temple in a kiss that was more vow than tease. "Where no one can hear but us."

Lucas groaned, though his ears burned red as he slid reluctantly off Trevor’s lap. "You really are a menace," he muttered, trying to summon his smirk again.

Trevor rose in one smooth motion, gathering his blazer from where it had fallen across the chair. His hand found Lucas’s without hesitation, fingers threading firm and sure. "Your menace," he corrected, leading him back through the lantern-lit terrace toward the waiting car.

The city still glittered below, but Trevor’s focus was already elsewhere, on cedar-scented sheets, on the omega at his side, on the night that was only just beginning.