CHAPTER 67: SUBTLE TRAP

Braelyn’s POV

"Why did you run Lynn?" His voice dropped into a low tone. I stepped back but there was no other space again. Lucien leaned down, trapping me between his arms. His face was just inches away from mine.

His breath fanned against my face. A spasm of sparks shot through my nerves due to the tingling sensation of his minty breath. "Don’t tell me I was right," Lucien added and I could hear my heart pounding in my ears, so loudly I feared he heard it too

I gulped but my throat still felt parched. The proximity was driving me nuts. Our skin was touching but I could feel that intense heat coming from him.

Shriek...

My nails scraped against the table.

’ Get yourself together Braelyn!’ my thoughts screamed. I understood Lucien’s type. He just wanted to edge me on to show who was in control. To him, this was probably a fun game.

If it were a game, two can play.

A smile danced across my lips, and his gaze flickered with confusion. I leaned closer, our lips brushing against each other. "What are you right about?" I asked him, holding his gaze at this non-existent distance.

He didn’t flinch or back away due to my sudden move. My lips inched towards his ears. "Don’t flatter yourself, Mr Volkov..." I chuckled lightly before moving away.

There was a strange glimmer in his eyes, his thumb brushed against my chin. "Playing with my words...." He chuckled. Lucien’s eyes dropped to my lips for a second, and I swear my knees almost gave out. He was just touching my chin, but it felt like he was everywhere on my skin.

"If I am flattering myself, why did you run away after I mentioned that night?" He asked.

My jaw locked. I hated that he could see through me so easily. It made me feel naked.

"Stop making it seem like something it wasn’t," I muttered, but it came out weak. Of course it did. My voice always betrayed me at the moment I was trying to act brave.

"Then why did you run? If it was nothing or perhaps you have forgotten what happened..." he asked again, softer this time. Dangerously soft. The kind of soft that makes you lean in before you realise you’re falling.

I held my breath. "Do you perhaps want me to re-enact that scene again on this table to jog your memory?" My eyes went wide instantly. He got me on the hook, a soft deep chuckle escaped his lips

"You wouldn’t dare.." I rasped, Lucien scoffed. His eyes filled with defiance and amusement.

"Why wouldn’t I? I’m not scared of someone finding out, it will even be better if Raphael learns what we were doing. Don’t you think so?" And for a moment, it felt tempting.

My fists clenched as the anticipation and excitement filled my head. I had to sing it in my head over and over again; this was a trap he wanted me to fall into.

I took a slow breath, tried to hold myself together. I tried to shove him off, my palms pressed against his chest, and I could feel the taut muscles under his clothes. An image of his tattooed back flashed in my head unceremoniously.

"I didn’t run away because of what you had in mind; it was because you were embarrassing me in there. Everyone was staring." I found the words to retort. I was slowly losing ground and he knew it.

He smiled again but it wasn’t the cocky type he normally had in his face. I could feel his heat under my palm. The little smile on his face felt like he knew something I didn’t.

"No one was bothered well except Raphael," he said. "I hate how good his self-control is. If I were in his shoes, I wouldn’t have been so calm, but maybe he really doesn’t care."

The fact hit me like ice water. My chest tightened, Raphael had noticed but ignored it. I was glad he ignored it but a part of me hoped maybe he would have reacted one way or the other.

Lucien stepped closer. Not enough to touch. Just enough to make my body react like a traitor. My back hit the edge of my desk. Again. My hands gripped the wood like it could anchor me.

"But I didn’t do all that because of him", he said. My brows furrowed trying to figure out what he meant.

His voice lowered, almost sounding tired and disheartened. "I did it because you won’t look at me unless I force you to. You even stared at him more than me."

My breath stalled. I could feel my eyelids twitching. Was he for real? I knew he was just teasing me, but my heart still couldn’t help but skip a beat at that moment.

I knew why I couldn’t look at him. It was embarrassing how much attention he was drawing to me. Although I agreed to whatever this was, I still wasn’t comfortable with it.

"I looked at you," I said, but it sounded childish. Like a lie I wanted to believe. He arched his brow at me. I barely glanced at him during the conference meeting. Honestly, I was trying to ignore his presence, but that was impossible.

" Did you?" he chimed. His eyes were studying me like he could peel my thoughts apart. "Your gaze barely lasted a second."

I bit my lower lip. It felt like he could see through me. I didn’t like how exposed, like an open book, I was before him, like he had some type of leverage over me. "You’re making something out of nothing," I whispered.

Lucien leaned in just enough that his breath brushed the side of my jaw. "If it’s nothing," he murmured, "then why are you shaking?"

I looked down and god, my fingers were trembling against the desk. He reached out to touch my hand. It was a like touch but I snatched my hands away like I’d touched fire.

"This isn’t right." I blurted, holding my hands. "It’s fake, and besides, why did you suddenly decide to join the company? I know it’s not too simple."

"I know what I agreed on Lynn," he cut in, then stepped back. "If it’s fake or real, it depends on how you see it."

I could finally breathe now that there was a distance between us. "Regarding why I came to the company. Don’t you think it will be better if your claimed lover is a top executive instead of a popular menace to society...." He paused as if he was hesitant for a moment

"Although I do have other reasons."