Page 25 of Billionaire Wolf Needs a Chef

I swirled my fingers in the moisture and brought it up to paint a cross over his chest.

"Mine," I repeated.

Afterward, we lay together in the darkness, our bodies still entwined. Cameron's arm was draped over my waist, his breath warm against my skin. I could feel his heart beating in time with mine, a steady rhythm that lulled me into a sense of peace I hadn't known was possible.

"Ivy," he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Hmm?" I replied, my eyes already drifting closed.

"Thank you," he said simply, his fingers tracing lazy patterns on my arm.

I smiled, nuzzling closer to him. "For what?"

"For this," he said, pressing a kiss to the top of my head. "For you."

My heart swelled at his words, and I pressed a kiss to his chest. "You don't have to thank me, Cameron. This is where I want to be."

He didn't respond, but I could feel the tension in his body ease, as if my words had given him the permission he needed to let go. We fell asleep like that, wrapped in each other's arms, the world outside forgotten.

Chapter 9

CAMERON

I woke to the soft warmth of Ivy pressed against me, her head resting on my chest and her arm draped across my waist. For the first time in thirty-two years, my wolf wasn't snarling at the edges of my consciousness. Instead, it was purring.

Her heartbeat thrummed against my ribs, her scent woven into my sheets, my skin, my soul. Mate. The word resonated through me like a struck bell, settling something primal I hadn't known was restless. For a moment, I allowed myself to revel in the peace of it, the steady rhythm of her breathing, the scent of her hair, the unshakable sense of rightness that came with her being in my arms.

I traced the claiming mark I'd left on her shoulder, the crescent bite marks from my teeth, still pink and healing. My chest swelled. Mine. Every cell in my body sang with it.

When I shifted to rise, Ivy made a soft noise of protest, her fingers clutching my wrist. "Stay," she mumbled, still half-asleep.

The command should've rankled. Instead, my wolf preened, nuzzling her mind through the fresh bond. I pressed a kiss to her knuckles. "Five minutes," I lied.

Carefully, I disentangled myself from her, sliding out of bed as quietly as I could. Ivy stirred slightly, murmuring something incoherent, but she didn't wake. I stood there for a moment, watching her sleep, my chest tightening with affection. She looked so vulnerable, so trusting, and the thought of her being exposed to danger because I was a wolf made my stomach churn.

I dressed quickly, my movements sharp and precise, and left the penthouse without waking her. The cool morning air did little to clear my head as I made my way to the office. It was Sunday, and the city was still quiet around me.

The building was empty when I arrived, the silence almost suffocating. I poured myself a cup of coffee and sat at my desk, staring at the blank screen of my computer. My usual focus was nowhere to be found, my mind instead consumed by thoughts of Ivy and the way she'd looked at me last night as if I were the only thing that mattered.

A knock at the door pulled me from my thoughts, and I looked up to see Brody standing in the doorway, his brow furrowed. "You're here early," he said, stepping inside. "Everything alright?"

"Fine," I said, my tone clipped.

Brody didn't look convinced, but he didn't press. Instead, he set a folder on my desk. "The updated sales projections for the new kits. Thought you'd want to see them."

I nodded, flipping through the pages without really seeing them. "Thanks."

Brody hesitated, his gaze lingering on me. "You sure you're okay? You seem off."

"I'm fine," I repeated, sharper this time.

He held up his hands in surrender. "Alright, alright. Just checking."

As he turned to leave, my phone rang, the shrill sound cutting through the silence. I glanced at the screen, my stomach sinking when I saw the name: Boris Tanner.

I answered, my voice cold. "What do you want, Boris?"

"Straight to the point." Boris's voice was a serrated blade down my spine. "I like that. You see, I've been keeping an eye on your little operation. That new chef of yours, she's quite the talent. Ivy, is it? Those meal kits she presented at FoodieCon were impressive. It would be a shame if something happened to derail the launch. You should see what my men just saw at your warehouse, Fitzgerald."

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