Page 18 of The Alpha's Lunar Crown

I clench my teeth, rage filling my eyes. "Fine. Strictly business."

His smirk widens, victorious. "Of course."

Big liar.

Without another word, I nudge him out of my way and slam the door closed behind me.

—————

The next day drags on, and every time I glance up from my computer, I find my mind wondering where Lucien is and if he is going to show up today, as he mentioned in the text.

Every inch of me has been charged with erratic nerves since my phone vibrated with a message from him informing me he'd be at the office today to discuss the details of our trip. I almost found myself reluctant to come to work today, but I refuse to be the coward in this situation.

Then again, this is the right time to back down from this because the deeper I get to work with him on this project, the harder it will be for me to escape.

My head jerks up at the sound of a knock on the door. It's Lucien. He doesn't wait for my approval before coming in. He just strides in like it's his office. All he does is push my buttons without saying a word. I try to act normal by keeping the distance between us, but as long as we work together, it will be in my wildest dreams.

"So," Lucien sits across from me, adjusting his navy blue suit, "have you thought of something yet?"

"I have no idea since I didn't bring this up. Whatever you decide on is a good idea," I say, trying to act all nonchalant. "I'm busy right now. We can finalize everything on the trip."

A crooked smile widens on Lucien's face, and I know there's something strange about his approval. A knot suddenly forms in my stomach.

"Good," he taps his fingers on the table. "I'll get everything arranged, and the flight leaves tomorrow morning."

I nod, avoiding the urge to stare at him as I focus on my computer.

Immediately when I get home that night, I pack for the trip while trying to focus on the job at hand. I calm myself down by telling myself it's just business we are going for, and I will not tolerate any crossed boundaries.

I can handle this, and I will keep my distance from Lucien. But deep down, I know that Lucien will always be watching me. There is never a time when he isn't. And something tells me that I won't be able to escape him this time.

—————

It's either that this plane is small or that Lucien is too big. It has to be one of them. I'm so uncomfortable that I keep shifting as Lucien settles his entire weight beside me.

His thighs keep brushing mine even though we are in a first-class-level seat that is big enough to make a person comfortable without inconveniencing the other.

I have no idea how the heat from Lucien's body seeps from his body and gets into mine. He's just overly too close to me.

I want to tell him to stay in proper position, but I wasn't ready for an argument. So, I try to focus on my laptop, but Lucien stretches his arm and drops it at the back of my seat, on my shoulder.

He knows exactly what he's doing.

"Aurora, you've got to relax," he murmurs. "You're overthinking things."

I tilted my head, glaring at him. "I wonder why."

Lucien chuckles. "Because you know exactly what you are walking into. You just don't have a choice."

I snap my laptop shut. I hate that he's doing this to me. "You never can tell if you're also walking into your grave."

His eyes dart to my lips, swallowing hard. "I don't mind."

I hate him. I hate that he looks at me like that. I hate that my body remembers how it once felt being with him, the heat of his body on mine and his breath against my skin.

And lastly, I hate that, deep down inside me, the part between my legs still wants to be touched and eaten.

"Unlike you, I don't find the idea of a grave intriguing, so I'd appreciate it if you sit properly and quit talking to me.""You haven't tried it with me," his voice is barely a whisper, and I would've missed his response if he wasn't encroaching on my personal space."I raise a questioning brow at him. "Sorry?" He offers me a lopsided smile. "The grave, I was saying you'll have a great time if I'm there with you."

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