ALINA’S POV.

    After a few minutes, Lucian sat back down, pulling me to straddle him.

    I moaned when my core made contact with his hard member, but he didn’t do anything. He just held me in his arms, his face buried in my neck as he inhaled my scent.

    I wrapped my arms around him, my fingers massaging his scalp while I waited for him to make a move.

    I frowned in confusion when he didn’t.

    “Lucian?” I called softly.

    “Mhmmm.” He responded, not lifting his head from my neck. !--

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    “Uhm… do you want me to… to… uhm… return the favor?” I asked hesitantly, still running my fingers through his hair.

    “No, I just want to hold you.” He said, his arms tightening around me.

    “Uhm… okay.” I murmured, my tone dropping slightly.

    He noticed.

    “Doll.” He called, leaning away from my neck to look at my face.

    I turned my head away, not wanting him to see the disappointment flickering in my eyes.

    Maybe I was too inexperienced. Maybe that’s why he didn’t want me to please him. I was sure he had been with better, more experienced, women, so of course he didn’t want me-

    “Don’t be like that, Doll.” Lucian gently grabbed my chin, making me look at him. “And stop having those thoughts.” He added firmly.

    “What thoughts?” I mumbled, pretending not to know what he was talking about.

    “The thought that is bringing this frown to your beautiful face.” He said, smoothing the space between my brows with his thumb.

    “It’s just… Why don’t you want me to return the favor? Is it because I did badlyst time?”

    “Shhhh.” Lucian ced his index finger against my lips. “You really don’t know what you do to me, do you?” He asked, his voice low and intense, making me frown.

    “Alina, the sight of you alone gives me a hard-on for a whole day. Your scent drives me insane. The feeling of your body alone against mine… do you know how hard I’m fighting not to nut in my pants like a schoolboy?”

    My mouth dropped at his admission.

    “The only reason I’m not letting you return the favor is because a blowjob wouldn’t be enough for me. I’d want more, and you’re too sore for that. So just let me hold you, okay?” His hazel eyes, now darkened with restraint, held mine.

    “Okay.” I nodded robotically, still in shock. Gently, I guided his head to my chest and ced a soft kiss on his forehead.

    I had no idea I had such an effect on him. Thanks to the information my past life blessed me with, I knew Lucian loved me

    and would do anything for me, but I didn’t know how badly I affected him.

    My insecurities were stemming from the fact that I’d been given another chance to make things right. It’s obvious I’d be changing fate, so there’s no guarantee Lucian would still feel the same way he did in the past life.

    Already, he had changed greatly. He didn’t use force on me like he would whenever I was being stubborn. And as much as I liked it, it made me feel like… maybe he didn’t care as much as he once did.

    Was I wrong?

    ? ? ?? ?? ? ? ? ?  ??

    Lucian’s arms wrapped around me again as he pressed his face further into my chest, taking an audible breath.

    And that was how we spent most of the morning.

    But s, we couldn’t stay like that for the rest of the day.

    “You need to eat.” Lucian said, trying to pull his head away, but I held him back.

    “I’m not hungry.” I grumbled, not wanting to leave the warm, intimate position we were in.

    But because my stomach was the weapon fashioned against me, it growled loudly, and Lucian’s ear was pressed right against it.

    “You were saying?” He teased, a smirk no doubt forming on his face.

    “I don’t want to move.” I whined.

    “But you have to.” He pulled away, ignoring my protest. “How about this, after breakfast, we can spend the whole day cuddling.” He suggested.

    I raised my brows at him.

    “You’re not going to work today?” I asked, surprised.

    “No. I decided to work from home today because I wanted to make sure you were okay.” He told me.

    “Huh?” I frowned in confusion.

    “Afterst night, I mean.” He rified.

    “Oh.” My face flushed. “Fine, let’s go.” I relented, standing up.

    We left his study, and just as I was about to make my way down the stairs, he grabbed me by the arm, pulling me into his

    chest.

    “Where do you think you’re going?” He demanded, his tone hard.

    “Downstairs to have breakfast.” I told him with a frown.

    What was he doing? Wasn’t he the one who just said we should go have breakfast?

    “Dressed like this?” His eyes scanned my body, which was only d in his shirt. “I don’t think so, Doll.”

    Oh.

    I blinked in realization.” Lucian, don’t be dramatic. The shirt covers what’s necessary.” I said, rolling my eyes.

    “Did you just roll your eyes at me?” His tone made me shiver.

    It was dark and dominating, but not in the same way I was used to. There was something about it… something that warned me not to push my luck.

    I was half-tempted to do it again, just to see what he’d do, but I decided against it.

    I was too sore to do anything.

    “Uhm, no.” I squeaked, my core clenching painfully.

    “That’s what I thought. Now get your pretty behind to the room and dress in something that won’t make me shoot somebody if they look at you a few seconds too long.” He said, letting me go.

    The look in his eyes told me he wasn’t joking.

    I nodded and rushed into the room to wear something more presentable.

    It’s not as though I didn’t know my outfit wasn’t proper,it’s just that I knew none of the guards would dare look at me lustfully, especially not with Lucian in the room.

    I came back downstairs dressed in loose sweatpants and a spaghetti-strapped crop tank top.

    “Seat.” Lucian said, pulling out a chair for me.

    Such a gentleman.

    “Thank you.” I smiled, taking a seat.

    His hand found my thigh the moment I sat down.

    The chefs came in soon after with our breakfast, and without wasting any time, I dug in.

    I was famished.

    “So, do you have anything in mind you want us to do today?” Lucian asked.

    “Wait… you’re serious about spending the whole day with me?” I asked, shocked.

    “Yeah,” he responded, clearly confused by my expression. “Have I ever said something I didn’t mean before?”

    “Well, no. But… don’t you have work to do?” I asked.

    As much as I wanted to spend the whole day with him, I didn’t want to be the reason he didn’t get anything done, he already canceled a meeting for me. Besides, he’d just returned from a business trip, and I had no doubt he had a lot of work piled up already.

    “It can wait. You are more important.” He told me in a serious tone.

    My heart melted.

    “But sir, you have a meeting scheduled for 12 today.” Ace; who was always lurking in the background, reminded him.

    “Reschedule it.”Lucian said sharply.

    “But sir, we’ve been putting it off for a week now and they’re getting impatien-”

    “Have Jessica handle it. And if they insist on meeting me, then they should wait. If they can’t, then they can go to hell.” Lucian said, growing visibly agitated.

    “Hey, calm down.” I whispered, cing a hand on his that still rested on my thigh, giving it a gentle squeeze.

    “But boss-”

    Lucian’s cold re was enough to make Ace swallow whatever he was about to say.

    “Lucian, if it’s that important, maybe you should just-”

    He turned that same re toward me and I immediately shut my mouth.

    What do I care, If he didn’t want to go, then who was I to force him? I was sure if it were that important to him, he’d go. Then again, Lucian was someone who did whatever he liked.

    I returned to my food when Mia walked into the dining room.

    Ah. I forgot to let her know I wouldn’t be going to work today.

    “Good morning, ma’am.” She greeted me.

    “Morning, Mia. We’ll be working from home today.” I informed her.

    “Okay, ma’am.” She nodded. “Miss Hart is on the phone. She said she’s been calling and you’re not answering.”

    “My phone is in the room. I’ll call herter.” I told Mia.

    “She said it’s important, ma’am. It’s about a certain Jacobi.” Mia said, holding her phone out to me.

    My eyes widened as my head snapped to Lucian,who was already staring at me.

    “Who is Jacobi?” He asked in a dangerously low tone.

    Shit.