Elvie
My back was turned to the kitchen counter as I busily mixed the seasoned meat for the beef tacos, my hands moving fast while I rambled on.
I was telling Cassian all about what happened at the grocery store with Lexi. I couldn’t even hide how surprised I was at myself. I actually didn’t stay quiet like I usually did back when Lexi used to push me around and bully me. I had actually spoken up.
Cassian had come home way earlier than expected, catching me before I could even finish prepping dinner, so now he was just sitting comfortably at the kitchen island. A cup of coffee sat by his side, and a laptop was spread wide open in front of him, but his full attention was locked on me as he listened.
"And then her card literally got declined right in front of us," I chuckled, tossing another spoonful of spices into the bowl. "I didn’t even mean to say anything, but it just felt so good to finally not just stand there and take it."
Cassian gave a soft hum, leaning back in his chair. "Oh, that’s nice. I’m glad. It seems like you’re growing a backbone, little birdie."
I stopped mixing for a second, a proud smile spreading across my face. "I know, right?"
A few minutes later, I finished putting the finishing touches on the beef tacos. I plated a generous portion and set it down right in front of him on the island.
Cassian lifted a single brow, his gaze shifting slowly from the food up to my face. "Don’t tell me you plan to eat separately."
"Um....Yeah... I’ll just serve myself and sit over there so as not to distract you."
Cassian spank my ass. "Sit. Let’s eat. Whenever I’m home like this, we are eating together. So put that at the back of your head."
A rush of heat flooded my face all over again, making my skin tingle. This man literally knew how to make my head swell just by using that bossy, confident tone of his.
"Okay," I mumbled, my voice barely above a whisper.
Quickly, I scooped some more tacos onto another plate for myself and pulled out the barstool right next to him, sitting down side by side.
As we started eating, my eyes drifted over to his laptop screen.I took a bite of my taco, swallowing before looking over at him. "Oh, by the way... what did you think about the picture I sent to you earlier from the museum?"
Cassian paused, chewing slowly before swallowing. "Oh, right. That image. I almost forgot."
He set his fork down, turning his head to look directly at me. "It’s actually contradicts to the research paper I’ve been working on. I’m pretty glad you sent me those pictures."
"Tell me more about the statue," I urged, leaning in.
Cassian smiled a little, setting his fork down.
"Wel....that statue was built a long time ago on a high cliff to celebrate a huge naval war victory. The artist carved the stone so well that it looks like real wet clothes blowing in a strong, heavy wind as she lands on a ship. Even though it is old and broken in some places after all this time, it still looks strong and powerful. But some said there’s a mystery surrounding it which is what I am researching on."
Mystery?
His words painted such a clear picture in my head that I could practically see it right in front of me, making me feel so inspired.
"I think I need to get my canvas," I blurted out, trying to stand up from my stool.
Cassian grabbed my wrist and pulled me right back down. "Finish your food first," he said softly, his dark eyes holding me in place.
I swallowed and nodded. "All right." I picked up my fork and went back to eating.
As I chewed, I noticed him staring right at me. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
Instead of answering, he reached out and gently touched my cheek with his warm fingers. A sudden shiver ran down my spine, and a warm, wet feeling pooled deep between my legs just from his touch.
He pulled his hand back with a small smirk. "You have something on your face."
My cheeks felt super hot. "Thank you," I whispered.
Cassian looked back at his plate for a second before looking up again. "So, let’s have a drink. Go get a bottle of wine from the refrigerator."
"Sure," I mumbled, standing up. I grabbed a bottle of red wine and a clean glass from the fridge and set them down next to him on the counter.
He opened the bottle, poured some into the glass, and looked at me through his lashes. "Have you ever tasted wine before?"
"Yeah. Once."
"Good," he said, taking a sip. "So we are going to have a drink today while you tell me all about your day."
I raised an eyebrow at him. Wait, hadn’t I literally just spent the last ten minutes telling him all about Lexi and the grocery store?
A sudden thought popped into my head. This was my chance. I couldn’t keep letting him ask me everything while he hid his own past.
"Why don’t we switch things up?" I said, crossing my arms. "You know, I already told you what I did today. Why don’t you tell me about yourself? Like your background... or did you even know me before all of this?"
Cassian stopped moving completely. His eyes locked onto mine, narrowing just a little bit. For a second, the kitchen went dead silent, save for the low hum of the refrigerator.
Then, a slow smile crept onto his lips. He picked up the wine bottle, poured a second glass, and slid it across the counter toward me.
"You’ve really gotten brave, little birdie," he murmured, his voice dropping into that low, thrilling register that always made my skin tingle.
"What makes you think I didn’t know you?"
My breath caught in my throat. My heart started hammering so fast against my ribs that I was sure he could hear it. Was why he talking as if he’d known me since a baby?
"I... I don’t know," I stammered, suddenly feeling a little small under his heavy stare. "You just always seem to know things. And the way you brought me here... it-."
The rest of the words froze in my throat when Cassian leaned forward, resting his elbows on the marble counter and closing the distance between us. The warm, clean scent of his cologne wrapped all around me, making it hard to think straight.
"Some things aren’t left to chance, Elvie," he whispered. "Some things are planned from the very beginning."
Before I could ask him what that was supposed to mean, he reached out, his thumb gently tracing the line of my jawline, sending a fresh wave of heat straight to my core.
"Drink your wine," he instructed softly, his touch impossible to ignore. "And maybe... I’ll tell you a few things you want to know."
I picked up the glass and took a sip. It had been such a long time since I last tasted wine. The last time was back at Asher’s parents’ anniversary, when Asher and I were pretty much close. We had shared a drink back then, and things almost went further—I had even been ready to give myself to him. And honestly speaking, I was so glad they hadn’t. I would have totally hated myself for it now.
Shaking that old memory away, I tilted my head back and gulped down the rest of the wine.
"If you’re drinking wine like that, you might not get to drink another one again." Cassian said in a way too deep voice one that showed how intimidating he was.
Hearing that made a spark of mischief light up inside me. It literally made me want to tease him. Without breaking eye contact, I reached out, grabbed the bottle, and poured myself another full glass.
"Oh, is that so?" I murmured, slowly licking my lips before lifting the glass to take another sip.
A rough curse slipped past his lips. "Fuck."
Before I could even process what was happening, his hand shot out and yanked me forward. The next second, I was seated right on his lap.
He leaned in close, pressing his solid body directly against mine until I could feel his heavy hardness poking right against me. "Are you trying to kill me?" he growled softly, his gaze burning into mine.
The intense friction sent a jolt of pure electricity straight between my legs. It turned me on so much that it made me want to test him even further.
"Is it working?" I asked, flashing a slow, seductive smile. I took another small sip. "This wine is nice... it’s tasty."
He let out a low breath. "I see. Are you going to drink it properly, or are you going to seduce me with that?"
I let out a soft chuckle, feeling a wild, daring rush of confidence take over. I actually felt the need to push him over the edge. "What if that’s what I want to do?"
His hand moved down, his fingers gripping my backside firmly as he pulled me flush against him. He leaned in close, his hot breath brushing against my ear. "Then I might have to teach you one or two things right over this counter."
A delicious tingle raced all over my skin, making me even more excited than before. I carefully set the wine glass down on the counter. My hands went straight to the hem of his shirt, pulling it up and over his head before tossing it carelessly onto the marble. Then I reached up, pulling my own top off over my head, leaving myself half naked in front of him.
I picked up the bottle of wine, poured a small splash of the dark red liquid over my collarbone, and let it trickle slowly down my skin before looking right into his dark, hungry eyes.
"I want you to taste the wine on my body,"