Page 89 of Unwillingly His

“I thought I knew all of your children. Luc, Olivia, and Charlotte?” I ignored his comment about something to do while he was at work. I was more curious about why I hadn’t met the missing Manwarring.

Charlotte, Olivia, and I had been friends for years.

“I have another son, Thomas. We don’t hear from him much. But tell me more about what you are looking for. Something more fulfilling than shopping or going to high tea?”

“I’m not saying I’m not going to shop or that I won’t go to the occasional tea service, but I need more. I need a purpose in my life, something more than keeping your bed warm.”

“I understand. Olivia has her magazine, and Charlotte has her cello. You need something to occupy your time, something productive.”

“Exactly. Are you okay with me pursuing something like that, looking into my options, and coming up with a few ideas?”

“No,” he said, setting down his coffee cup. “I don’t want you to pursue anything. I have something already that’ll be perfect. Are you finished with breakfast?”

“Yeah, I’m full.” I had only eaten half of a Danish, some cut fruit, and a cup of coffee, but honestly, I couldn’t have eaten another bite if I wanted to. I didn’t even taste any of it.

“Good.” He held my hand as he guided me off his lap and stood. “Hamilton, have the driver pull the car around. Stella and I are heading into the office.”

“It’s waiting for you at the door, sir.”

Hamilton didn’t even look at me, just stared disapprovingly at the ring on my finger before turning and walking away.

I wondered if the ring meant that Hamilton would actually have to treat me like a person. Judging by the scowl on his face, I doubted it.

The sun was warm the second we stepped outside, and Lucian led me to the car.

“Why are we heading into your office?” I asked as soon as he slid into the back seat next to me.

“Because I have the perfect job for you. You can put as little or as much effort into it as you like. You will have staff and people depending on you, but you will have the option to choose how busy you really are.”

“That doesn’t make any sense.”

He lifted the back of my hand to his lips and left a kiss. “Trust me, you are going to love this.”

He didn’t say another word until we pulled up to the massive high-rise, and I saw a mask almost slide over his face. He was mentally preparing for whatever war the day was going to bring.

A moment before, his posture had been relaxed, his fingers intertwined with mine. But by the time I was standing next to him on the sidewalk, his posture was rigid, his expression was intimidating, and all hint of the man who had held me in his lap was gone.

I thought for a moment that he was staring down someone, but when I looked, no one was there.

It was kind of sexy. I liked knowing that people feared my man, and more importantly, the softer side of him was for my eyes only. It made those very few tender moments all the sweeter.

Moments like when he’d washed me in the shower above the stable, how he’d held me after we made love last night, and how he’d teased me at breakfast.

He straightened his tie and walked into the building.

I had to practically jog to keep up with his long strides. It wasn’t until he hit the lobby that he slowed down and allowed me to walk beside him.

The lobby was covered in sleek marble and refined touches that screamed wealth and class. Even the security guards were dressed in black suits with red ties and were really only set apart by the earpieces they wore and the badges clipped to their breast pockets.

Lucian nodded to one of the guards as he escorted me past them to the elevators and hit the button for the top floor.

“Will you please tell me where we are going and what is happening?” I asked.

“Where is the fun in that?” The very corner of his mouth lifted in an almost half-smile. The second the doors opened, it was gone, and he was back to the cold, hard tyrant that I was sure all his employees knew and feared.

He marched straight into a conference room that already had a meeting going on.

Immediately, the energy shifted, and the man who was sitting at the head of the table moved and sat at the seat just to the right.

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