Elvie
I stood at the stove, stirring the contents of the pot while Asher’s words kept ringing in my head. There was no doubt he was threatening me. I wouldn’t even be surprised if Asher had been stalking me, because how else on earth did he know so much? We had been so careful. It wasn’t like we ever arrived at the house together or made it obvious.
"What are you thinking about, zoning off like this?"
A deep, familiar voice broke through my thoughts. Strong arms snaked around my waist, spinning me around smoothly, and the next second, Cassian’s lips were warm against mine. I wasted no time in kissing him back, parting my lips to let him in, letting the familiar taste of him push everything else away.
When he finally pulled back, he brushed a loose strand of hair away from my face, his thumb gently rubbing over my cheek. In that moment, I wanted nothing more than to bury my face in his chest, wrap my arms around him, and hold on tight.
Cassian glanced past me at the stove, his eyes taking in the bubbling food. "What are you making?"
I looked down at the pot, then back up at him. "Just some pasta."
He offered a half-smirk. "Well... don’t worry about it anymore. I got us some pizza." He gave my waist a light squeeze. "Grab the glasses, and I’ll get the wine."
**
"No, that’s mine!" I stretched my hand out, trying to snatch a piece of pizza right from Cassian’s grip.
Cassian in turn took a big bite out of it, a lazy smirk on his face. "Too bad. It’s gone," he murmured, chewing slowly.
I glared at him, crossing my arms over my chest. Pouting, I looked at the box on the table. "Did you get this pizza for us, or did you get it for yourself?"
"For us, of course," Cassian replied calmly. He reached for his glass and took a slow sip of his wine.
Since we sat down, I had barely eaten two slices, while Cassian had already devoured four and then gone ahead to snatch my third one right out of my hands. Watching him, a thought crossed my mind. Did he even eat anything today?
"Did you even had lunch?" I asked, turning my whole body to look at him properly.
He lifted an eyebrow, setting his wine glass back down on the table. "Why do you ask?"
"Because you’ve literally eaten half the pizza by yourself," I said, eyeing the remaining slices.
Cassian let out a small sigh, his jaw relaxing slightly. "I was too busy today. I barely had time to think about lunch."
As soon as he said that, the voice at the back of my mind came rushing right back. Should I tell him about what Asher said?
No. Telling him wouldn’t change anything, and it wasn’t like I had actually decided to attend the anniversary anyway. What could Asher possibly have to reveal? Knowing Asher, he might be doing that to get me to succumb to him.
A light gasp escaped my lips as two strong arms suddenly wrapped around me. My body was lifted completely off the chair, and I found myself seated right on Cassian’s lap.
My hand landed solidly against his chest to balance myself. He reached up, his large, warm thumb gently running across my cheek, his eyes searching my face with intense focus. "You seem distracted," he murmured softly, his gaze locking onto mine. "What’s on your mind, Elvie?"
I swallowed keeping my expression as neutral as possible. "Nothing," I lied, looking away for a fraction of a second. "I’m just tired from all the assignments."
Cassian didn’t buy it for a second. His eyes narrowed slightly, a low hum vibrating in his chest. "I don’t believe you, little birdie."
Before I could form another lie, his hand slid down from my cheek, trailing past my ribs to grip my waist. He squeezed, his thumb digging into the sensitive curve of my hip and pulling me flush against him.
A light moan escaped my lips and my hands instinctively flew up, gripping the back of his neck tighter as heat flared through my body.
"Cassian..." I moaned out, my breath coming in short hitches.
He leaned in close, his lips brushing against my ear, his breath hot against my skin. "Speak," he whispered dark and smooth. "Tell me what’s bothering you."
His touch was making my mind spin, breaking down every wall of resistance I had built up just seconds ago. I opened my mouth, on the verge of spilling everything when the loud ring of a cell phone blared through the quiet dining room, shattering the intense atmosphere in an instant.
"Fuck that piece of phone!" He let out a curse under his breath, his forehead dropping forward to rest against my shoulder in sheer frustration.
A soft chuckle bubbled up from my chest. I wrapped my arms around him, resting my head against his broad chest, listening to the heavy, steady thud of his heartbeat.
Cassian finally pulled back just enough to reach into his pocket and retrieve the ringing phone. He glanced at the screen, and his expression instantly hardened into a mask of pure ice. He pressed accept, bringing the phone to his ear. "Speak."
I started to shift, intending to slide off his lap to give him some privacy, but his hand clamped firmly around my waist, anchoring me in place.
His eyes didn’t leave mine as he continued the call. "I can only lease my yacht to people who see its worth. If they can’t pay the full amount, then it’s their loss. I won’t compromise."
There was a brief pause before he said, "Goodnight."
With a sharp flick of his wrist, he tossed the phone onto the nearby couch, completely unbothered as it clattered against the cushions.
I tilted my head, looking up at him with a curious smile. "What was that about?"
Cassian let out an irritated hiss. "Some idiot wanting to lease my yacht, and then having the nerve to ask for a price reduction, as if my yacht is cheap."
The way he scoffed at the end made a soft chuckle bubble out of me. I reached up, cupping his strong jaw with both hands. "Is that why you’re frowning like the end of the world?"
His jaw remained clenched tight, the muscle ticking beneath my fingers. He shook his head. "No. I’m frowning because they cut short what I was doing."
I chuckled again, feeling a wave of bold confidence wash over me. Without breaking eye contact, I slowly ground my hips down over his lap, letting him feel how much he still affected me.
"Why don’t I make you feel better?" I whispered, my voice dropping to a teasing purr.
Cassian’s eyebrows shot up. A dangerous, slow-burning fire lit up his dark eyes as they dropped down to my lips. A slow smirk touched the corners of his mouth.
"Oh, really?" he murmured, his hands tightening on my hips. "And how do you plan on doing that, little birdie?"
I leaned in closer, bringing my face inches from his, staring right into those striking eyes I had come to like so much. My fingers tangled into the neckline of his shirt, playing with the fabric as I let a wicked little smile form on my lips.
"...Like by you painting me," I breathed softly, my gaze dropping to his mouth before rising back to meet his darkened eyes. "...Naked."