Chapter 10
Noelle
When it’s time for bed. I’m exhausted from all the thinking I’ve done. I’m about to lie down and die in my bed when the door opens, and Lucian strolls in.
“What are you doing here?!” I bark.
Lucian stops in his tracks. “Uh, did you already forget that we are supposed to spend the night together?”
“Oh…right, right…” I calm down for a second, but only until I see my idiot starting to take off his clothes like it’s a damn strip club. His tanned hands are unbuttoning his navy suit, and my eyes widen into saucers. “What the hell do you think you’re doing now?!”
“Getting naked?”
My whole face turns red. “Why?!”
“Because I always sleep naked,” he smirks at me. “I know you said you wanted to go slow, but I promise you I’m not here for
sex
“Th–then, why are you here?” I stammer, unsure how to act now that he is only wearing his white shirt and already working on getting off his body.
Lucian crosses the distance between us, breathing into my ear with his minty breath. “I’m here to spoil my mate,” he smiles after speaking, probably amused since I’m rooted to the spot, too nervous to move. He takes the opportunity to lean in event closer–so close that his lips brush my ear. “How about a foot massage in the bathtub?
A needy breath leaves my lips at his offer, and my body tingles, instantly remembering how good it felt when Lucian licked my cunt until I moaned his name. Would a foot massage lead to such an experience again?
He chuckles in my ear. “No, you would have to beg for it next time. Thinking about it isn’t enough
I gasp. “Stop reading my mind!”
Lucian chuckles again, and I turn around to swat him. He easily reels back like the trained fighter he is, making me glare at him with daggers in my eyes.
“I don’t like it when you read my mind!” I growl.
“Your mind is too interesting to stay away from,” comes his answer, causing me to blush even more.
Sebastian was never this forward with me; his attention was on his ex–girlfriend, I suppose. But Lucian is different. He focuses on me with a devotion that is both terrifying and oddly intoxicating. The possessiveness is hot, but the bloodthirsty monster lurking inside of him is not.
The last thought makes me shudder, and before I can stop myself, I blurt out, “Do you ever feel the desire to drink my blood?”
His eyes widen at my question, clearly taken aback. But he doesn’t shy away from it.
“I won’t lie to you, Noelle,” he begins carefully. “There is a primal part of me that craves your blood. It’s like your vessels themselves are calling to me
His honesty frightens me, but it also tugs at something in my chest. A strange sense of relief fills me. At least he doesn’t lie
about it.
“But,” he continues, reaching out to gently run his fingers through my dark hair. “I would never hurt you. Your safety means more to me than any instinct or desire.
“Is that why you came here tonight? To protect me after finding out the pack elders wish me harm?”
Lucian shakes his head, a small smile playing on his lips. “No, I me here because I wanted to be with you.” His hand drops from my hair and lands on my check instead. “I don’t think you understand how addicted I am to you already. Your presence, your scent of strawberries–whenever you’re not around me, I feel like a part of me is missing”
His confession washes over me like a tidal wave, stirring my heart in ways I have never experienced before. His words, his affection–it’s all too intoxicating. The mate bond is making me weak to his touch, and the second Lucian feels I’m willing to let him care for me, he lifts me up.
“Come on,” he walks over to bed and sits down. “Let’s get you out of those clothes.”
I don’t even argue. Lucian has already seen me naked, and the mate bond between us is making me crave his gentle touch. And what’s wrong with letting yourself be spoiled by a sexy guy when the opportunity arrives?
I slump my head back against his muscular shoulder, my legs dangling from his lap as he leans forward to remove my socks with his warm hands. It makes everything inside of me tingle, especially when he gently squeezes one of my naked feet.
“Sore?” he murmurs.
“A bit…”
His squeezing turns to a full–blown massage. The tension in my muscles eases under his touch, a small sigh escaping from any lips. Its not until now I realize how stressed out I must have been. Sebastian, the wedding that never was, my family sne possibly being a lycan princess.
“Don’t think about it,” Lucian mutters in my car. “If you do, you will only work yourself up again.”
“But
“Uh–huh, no buts,” he says, stopping to tend to my foot and leaning back a little to help me remove my dress. His thick thighs support my full weight as I sit in his lap.
Is it wrong that I find all of this rather sexy?
This is like foreplay but more gentle. Lucian isn’t in a rush to toss me into bed. Instead, his actions are filled with a tender care that touches me deeply. His fingers trace the curve of my back as he unzips my dress, his touch sending shivers of anticipation down my spine..
“Close your eyes,” he murmurs to me, gently lifting me from his lap so that he can slip the dress off my shoulders..
The cool air coming from the AG kisses my bare skin, but I keep my eyes shut like Lucian told me to. With every passing moment, the trust between us grows stronger, and I feel my fear ebbing away.
“You can open your eyes now.”
I open my eyes to see Lucian standing in front of me, shirtless, his muscular torso and abs on full display. It’s surreal how ethereal he looks; like some godly creature from an ancient tale
“I thought taking off my clothes while you weren’t looking wouldbe less overwhelming for you,” he smirks. “But, since you want to keep things civilized, I’m still wearing my boxers. It’s okay; I can bathe with them.”
bite my lower lip, trying to suppress the smile that threatens to bloom on my face. But, in the end, I can’t fight it and wind up giggling.
“You’re already planning on joining me in the bathtub, huh?”
醬味家25%
“And in the shower, Larian is quick to say. “I mean, what sort of mate would I be if I weren’t there to make sure you didn’t get hurt?”
This ridiculous, ridiculous man…
“I’m not going to die in the shower, Lucian.”
“No, not if I’m there.
Before I can argue, he lifts me up like a bride and heads for the bathroom.
