Page 9 of Yule Be Mine

And now, here he was offering me exactly what I secretly wanted, which I hadn’t allowed myself to even fully think about until recently.

He was offering me everything.

With his hand now on my knee, Lucian gave it a squeeze and slid it up until it disappeared under his sweater I wore, teasing the crease where my leg met my pussy.

“You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me, Sophia, and I’m too fucking possessive of you to let you go. So even if you say no tothis, I’m still going to own your body. I’m still going to fuck you whenever I see fit, and I’m going to make it known no one else is allowed to touch what’s mine whether you openly claim me or not.”

That should have identified as nothing but red flags. But hell, this girl loved a little darkness with her romance.

“Okay,” I whispered, smiling. “I want it all too… with you. Out in the open.”

He growled in that feral animal way of his. “That’s my good girl.”

Yes. Yes, I was.

4

SOPHIA

The following work day

Ididn’t know if Lucian planned on showboating our relationship to everyone in the office, but all day, I’d been on edge waiting to see what was going to happen.

But I should have known he wasn’t one to make a scene or spectacle. He kept things professional, and the only time things became more intimate was when we’d pass by each other, and he’d let his fingers brush against the bare skin of my arm.

Or when he’d corner me in the hallway and lean in close, whispering something in my ear.

I knew people saw our interactions. Saw the way he looked at me now with soft expressions and genuine smiles that were nonexistent before. I saw their wide-eyed looks as they watched us.

It was the end of the workday, and I was cleaning off my desk to call it a night when Lucian’s deep voice came from his private office.

“Sophia, can I see you for a moment before you leave?”

My heart instantly started racing, and I glanced around the nearly deserted cubicle area of the office. There were only three employees left, all of whom were staring at me and then glancing at the boss's door.

I gave them a tight-lipped smile and felt my face heat to volcanic levels while I walked toward Lucian’s open doorway. He’d been waiting for me off to the side, and when he closed the door behind me, everything went eerily quiet.

The soft click of the lock being engaged sent a ripple of anticipation down my spine.

“Sophia,” he said, still behind me, and I felt achill race up my spine. Lucian’s voice sounded lower than usual… almost a growl.

I turned and faced him, and every single part of my body instantly aware of his presence at just the imposing, massive, and dominating sight of him.

He stood in front of the door with his hands in the front pockets of his expensive slacks. After a second, he walked by me, his steps slow and deliberate. I didn't miss how he almost came thto a standstill when we were side by side, when he leaned in to the crown of my head and inhaled the scent my hair.

But just as quickly as he’d done it, he resumed walking, until he got to his desk and propped himself against the edge. With his arms crossed and his piercing blue gaze pinning me in place, the man looked like the world revolved around him.

“You’ve seemed distracted all day. And I’m wondering why that is.”

My breath hitched at the low tenor of his voice, the weight of his words suffocating me with an erotic haze. I could’ve lied, but what was the point? “I've been waiting for you to make it known we’re together… like we talked about.”

He cocked a dark eyebrow and stayed silent for long seconds. “You think I’d flaunt and showboat the most precious thing in my life?”

My heart skipped a beat at what he just implied I was to him.

He slowly shook his head. “No, sweet girl. You don’t shove a priceless gem into the faces of those around you. You let them know what you have… intimately.”

I thought back to his little touches, to the way he said my name around his employees. My first name, not my last like he did everyone else—including me up until today. This man had made it known I was his and his alone the entire day.

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