Page 47 of The Protégé

Was he afraid of me?

I couldn’t forget the day he’d saved me from those drunk idiots. He looked like he wanted to kill them. This man harbored so many emotions.

Even though he told me the reasons why he’d been at the scene, something told me it wasn’t the whole truth.Themore I got to know him, the deeper I had to dive in to figure him out.

We rounded the corner and our hands touched. A spontaneous idea popped into my head. I smirked as I tripped on my foot. He reached for my arm, yanking me against his hard body. His other arm wrapped around my waist, holding me tightto him. I inhaled his musky scent and melted into him. His hard cock pressed into my body.

Okay, now I knew for certain Orion wanted me.

“You okay?” he asked, looking down at me. A dangerous yet beautiful storm brewed in his eyes. I wanted to jump into them, swim in all of his secrets.

“Yeah. I’m clumsy today.” I straightened up, trying to wriggle free from his grip—from the hand that warmed my lower back. But he held me close.

“Do I make you nervous, Elena?” His voice had a deep, velvety undertone of seduction. Then he released me. Was he playing some game with me?

“No,” I lied. “Just first day of work jitters.”

“Let me give you a tour.” He took me down the hallway, past several rooms. “Bathroom is over there near the kitchen.”

We walked past a room with the door left ajar. The lights were off, but something sparkled inside it.

“What’s in there?” I asked.

“My Cosmic Lounge.”

“Your what?” Fascination tickled me. “May I see it?”

He hesitated, but kept his gaze on me.

“It’s okay if you’re uncomfortable?—”

Orion took my hand, and the gesture surprised me. My heart galloped as he led me into the dark room. It felt spacious, but I couldn’t be sure. When the stars emerged from the ceiling and the walls, all thoughts fell away, leaving me in complete awe.

His hand squeezed mine, and a wonderful sensation rushed through me. Maybe it was because I was standing in the middle of the cosmos with a man I’d been dreaming about. In this moment, the impossible seemed possible. Orion had been out of my reach, dwelling in a different world. But right now, we both stood hand in hand while the stars winked at us. Thebackground changed colors, like the mesmerizing nebula images from NASA.

After a few moments of silence, I looked at him. “It’s magical.”

“It is.” He met my eyes, and stars gleamed in them.

“I’ve never been in a room like this. It feels so real.”

“With the right technology, anything is possible.”

“It’s easy to do that when you have unlimited money. My dreams have limitations.” I broke away from our joined hands to walk around the room. Looking up, I reached for a cluster of stars that gleamed close by. I closed my eyes and imagined clasping them into my grip as though I’d captured my dream. As though I’d captured Orion in my hand.

“Do youknow what constellation you just caught?” he asked.

I should lie and tell him I didn’t know that I was holding the Orion constellation, but the way he looked at me demanded honesty

“The hunter in the sky,” I said.

He sighed and ran a thumb across my cheek. “I like how you reached for me.” The slight rumble of his voice and the arrogant smirk made me speechless.

His musky scent overwhelmed me, and his voice was like a drug that numbed all my logic. I rose to my tippy toes so that my lips were a breath away.

“What is the hunter looking for?” I whispered.

Lust smoldered in his eyes, and he cupped my face with both hands. “You.” Then his lips crashed into mine.

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