ARIA:
As soon as Serene left, I looked down at my plate with a sigh, feeling a wave of intense tiredness overcome me. It wasn't just mere fatigue. I was tired of the drama and it had just begun today.
Sighing, I gently placed my fork on the table, right beside my plate before I pushed my seat back and stood to my feet.

"Sit, Aria." I raised my head to look up at Lyall. He was still in the middle of his meal. I could tell he was finding it hard to eat and obviously, I was the only one who noticed it at this moment.
"I need to go back to my room. I'm sure you have other things to do."
"Whatever I do later isn't any of your business, okay? Have a seat, c'mon,"
Nodding, I pulled out my seat once again but he gave me a stern look. It was enough for me to know he wanted me close to him. "Oh," I muttered under my breath and walked towards him. He reached out and pulled me towards him. I couldn't even protest. It was useless when it came to Lyall. I found myself sitting in his lap, his nose nuzzling my skin as his arm wrapped around my waist and pulled me in.
I couldn't even resist if I wanted to because the moment I felt his body on mine, I lost every composure, every control over my desires and emotions. With him, it was always unbridled passion. I always fought with myself whenever I was around him, only to lose when his lips pressed into my skin.
"By the moon goddess, I couldn't take my eyes off you. Everyone kept arguing about one thing or the other and all I wanted to do was undress you with my eyes. I would have fucked you against the table in front of everyone to make sure they knew you were mine,"

"That's kind of… raunchy, you know?" He clicked his tongue and shook his head. "Well, anything to let them know that I belong to you, right?"
He nodded. "That's right. I'm glad they all left. Now, I can do whatever I want with you."
"Wait," I pressed my hand into his arm, stopping him from digging his hand up my dress. "Why are we doing it? What if someone walks in and sees us?"
"Does it matter who walks in?"

"Actually, yes," I nodded, turning to look at him like he had gone crazy. "Why would you want us to do this here? It's off. I am your mistress and Sheila is your wife. As much as I hate her, this is really disrespectful. What if she's the one who walks into us fucking? And by the way, are you selfish or is it the desire to be all over me overcoming you?"
He looked taken aback by my statement and when I thought he was going to apologize for that move, he pushed to his feet, lifting me in his arms and pushing me into the table. Before I could say a word in protest, he parted my legs and lodged himself between my thighs. Grabbing me by the waist, he pulled me against him and I gasped, holding onto him for support right before his lips crashed into mine.
All of my worries became useless, disappearing and fading into thin air the moment I felt the warmth of his lips on mine. They glided against mine and he cupped the back of my head, tilting his to the side as he deepened the kiss. His other hand went straight to my thighs, kneading and stroking before he found my heat and cupped her. I gasped, feeling myself pull into him.
None of this made sense. We didn't need to lose control to the extent where we had to do it in the dining room, on the table where everyone ate. But Lyall didn't seem to care before he kept peppering kisses down my neck to my cleavage. He kissed my breasts through the fabric until my already-hardened nipples began to push through the fabric.
"Lyall," I whispered, planting my hands on either of his broad, powerful shoulders. But he wasn't even listening. He had gone rabid, bunching my dress around my hip and grinding his crotch against me. "Lyall!"
He pulled away, staring at me with a deep frown that told me he hated being interrupted. "What is it? Why can't we enjoy this moment without getting worried that someone is going to see?"
"Do you realize you treat me like your mistress and not your mate?"
He pulled away, his frown deepening. "What are you talking about?"
"You don't have respect for me. I can barely control myself around you but I do it with respect. You don't see me grabbing your shaft before everyone. Why are you trying to have us do it on this table when there are several places too? For fuck's sake, you don't get to treat me like you own me. I own myself and I own you as much as you do me. So when I don't feel comfortable about something, the least you can do is listen to me and take me somewhere else. I don't want anyone walking into us! Do you realize it's going to backfire on me instead of you? Don't you even think of how it's going to affect me or are you that selfish?"
His fingers talked through his hair and he sighed before coming back to me. I slid out of the table, pulling my dress down and putting my hair in order. "I'm sorry, Aria. I didn't think, I swear."
"Of course, you didn't," I swatted his hand away before he could touch me, pushing past and fully aware he was following behind me. "Don't follow me, please. You can go about your daily duties.."
"I'm sorry, Aria. And I mean it. I didn't respect you and your anger is valid." He grabbed me by the arm before I could walk away, pulling me back and causing me to stop in my tracks. "You know how I am around you. I can barely even control myself because I am crazily attracted to you and I know you feel the same way too."
"But I know when and when not to do certain things. Maybe have a little bit of respect for me, huh? I don't get how you get to tell me what you feel for me and how much you are attracted to me and then go back on your words by treating me like your concubine like you told everyone I am."
"Then let me make it up to you, please?"
"Maybe some other time," I pulled my gown up and began to make my way up the steps. "Now, all I want is to be alone and I need you to understand that."
"And what do I do with this?"
I turned to see him looking at his bulging crotch. My anger intensified. "Are you selfish or what? Don't you even get what you did? You're more concerned about your hard-on than how you disrespected me?"
"I told you I wanted to make it up to you and you refused. What do I do to satisfy you, huh?"
"Nothing, Lyall. Since you need me spelling things out for you like a kid, nothing!" I continued to walk away but just as I was about to walk past his office, he grabbed me by the waist, pulling me into him and yanking the door open before pulling us both in and locking the door. Before I could say anything, he crashed his lips into mine, pushing me against the wall as he tore off my dress from my body and lifted my leg to his waist.
He began to grind against me, his lips leaving wet kisses in its wake. "You want me as much as I do you. Even through your anger, I can still smell the desire. Stop fighting me for crying out loud."
"I don't have any left in me," I whispered. "Kiss me, Lyall.”