scoop me up.
My eyes go wide as
he lifts me, and I clutch onto his neck, tilting my head towards his
chest and wincing, not from pain, but from the fear of being dropped.
It's unmerited fear though. If he's struggling with my weight, I
can't tell. He carries me to the bed effortlessly and sets me down on
top of it, draping my legs over the side and kneeling in front of me
to inspect my ankle again.
“ I
think it's alright.” I gaze down at him in amazement. There's
genuine concern etched into his features. All traces of the playful
man who was there before are gone.
“ I'm
sorry. I didn't mean for that to happen.” He looks up at me
earnestly.
“ I
know. You were just being...” What? I'm not even sure. Flirty?
A dick who wouldn't give me my camera back. My
camera...
My heart stills
until I locate the camera on the floor where I fell. It seems to be
intact, but there's no way to be sure until I can get my hands on it.
“ Can
you give me my camera?” I ask, worried for a moment that he
might try to tease me again.
“ Sure.”
He retrieves it promptly, putting it in my hands without hesitation.
Thankfully, it turns
on without any issues. That would have been the cherry on top of
everything that's gone wrong today, a broken camera. Relieved that
it's alright, I quickly flip through the pictures and delete the ones
Lucian took of me. The fun and games are over. Hopefully, he realizes
that now.
The bed dips beside
me as he sits down. It's unnerving being this close to him, knowing
that he's watching what I'm doing. I feel his hand on my forehead,
brushing my hair over my shoulder, so he can get a better look at my
face. A warm shiver rolls down my spine from his touch. He's back in
predator mode. I can sense it without even looking at him. You'd
think that him injuring me would have been enough to make him drop
the pursuit, but he's tenacious.
“ I
think I should finish taking my pictures and go.” I try to
stand, but as soon as I put weight on my ankle, it gives out.
Lucian pulls me back
down onto the bed, then wraps his arm tightly around my shoulder. “I
don't think that's such a good idea.”
“ I
have to have these pictures turned in tomorrow.” I stare down
at the camera helplessly. Maybe if I just rest my leg for a few
minutes, it will be alright. Worst case scenario, I can limp around
the house and finish the job. One way or another, it's getting done.
“ Says
who?” He rests his chin on my shoulder. I can't tell if I like
him being so close to me, or if I hate it.
“ Says
my boss. She sent me here to do a job, and I need to do it.”
“ Well,
I'm a doctor, and I say that you need to stay off of that ankle for a
while.”
My mood sulks as I
realize that he's probably right. If I walk around on the ankle, I'm
only going to irritate it more. Still, I don't really have a choice.
“ I'll
get off of it when I finish up here and go home,” I grumble,
trying to force myself onto my feet.
Lucian rounds on me,
grabbing both of my shoulders and pushing me down until my back is
flat on the bed. I gasp and try to struggle for a moment, but it's no
use. His entire body weight is on me, and I don't have the strength
to fight him off.
His eyes burn into
mine, smoldering, as if they can siphon the energy out of my very
soul. So blue. So mesmerizing. He quickly grabs my wrists and forces
them above my head. The pressure of his large palms pushing my wrists
into the soft comforter below feels surprisingly pleasant. He's
trapping me, keeping me in place...and part of me likes it.
“ If
you don't behave, I'm going to have to restrain you,” he warns,
and there's a hint of a challenge in his voice.
“ Restrain
me?” I parrot back absentmindedly, still captivated by his
eyes.
“ Yes.”
He leans into me, his cheek nuzzling against mine as he whispers in
my ear. “You know, that thing where I take away your freedom.”
He nips at my earlobe, causing a shiver to roll from the top of my
spine all the
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