Chapter 165- I Said Leave!

Arabella:

He pursed his lips and leaned over me, placing both hands on the arms of the chair. "Call him here, Arabella."

My brows rose. "Here? Didn’t you say Victor wasn’t allowed to set foot in the palace?" I was about to question him further, but the look in his golden eyes made me hold my tongue.

"When he gets here, have him brought to the palace guest area," Lucien continued. "You can meet him there." For a moment, I just stared at him. Lucien seemed to know exactly what I was thinking.

"Keeping you safe is more important than protecting my ego, Bella." His gaze stayed on mine. "If you need to see your brother, you’ll see him here where I know you’re safe."

I wanted to argue. A part of me still hated having someone decide where I could and couldn’t go. But this time, I stopped myself.

Lucien wasn’t trying to keep me away from Victor. He was actually letting Victor into the palace because he didn’t want me going somewhere he thought might be unsafe.

And lately, trusting Lucien didn’t feel as difficult as it used to.

Maybe it had something to do with my wolf finally responding to me, and somehow that was making me question a lot of things I had believed for the past three years.

I lifted my eyes. Lucien was still leaning over me, his hands resting on either side of the chair as he waited for my answer.

I moved forward until there were only a few inches between our faces. "Fine. If you want Victor brought here, I’ll call him."

His lips curved slightly. "That’s my girl." Before he could straighten, I closed the remaining distance and pressed a quick kiss to his lips.

That familiar mint scent reached my nostrils immediately, and I smiled against his mouth. Maybe agreeing with Lucien once in a while wasn’t so bad.

When I pulled back, he didn’t move away. His eyes searched mine for a moment, and something in his expression softened. "What was that for?" he whispered.

I gave a small shrug, suddenly unsure how to explain it. "A reward, maybe. For being there for me... for taking care of me."

"Ah." His smile slowly returned. "Then I suppose I should try harder to keep you happy. If this is what I get for taking care of you, I might have to start doing it more often."

I chuckled and leaned in again, gently bumping my nose against his before placing another kiss on his lips. This one lasted a little longer.

When I drew back, Lucien stayed exactly where he was. His eyes remained closed for another second, as though he wasn’t ready to move away yet. I stared at him, unable to stop my own smile.

When he still didn’t open his eyes, I tapped his cheek with one finger. "You need to move and let me go. I have better things to do."

His eyes finally opened, but he made no attempt to straighten. "Not without a third kiss."

He tilted his head to the side, making it clear he wasn’t moving. I bit my lower lip to hold back a laugh. The man was actually blocking me in his own chair and demanding payment before he would let me leave. "Fine."

I bent a little, watching his eyes drop to my lips. Just when he seemed convinced he was getting what he wanted, I knocked my nose hard against his instead.

"Damn, Bella!" Lucien grunted and rubbed his nose. I burst out laughing. "Sorry. I had to. You made it too tempting."

His eyes narrowed, but the grin that followed made it impossible to take him seriously. Instead of moving away, he rubbed his cheek against mine, making me squirm when his stubble tickled my skin.

"Do you have any idea what kissing you does to me?" His voice dropped. "Even the simplest touch of your lips gets me hard." He tilted back his head to see the impact of his words.

Heat rushed straight to my face, but this time I refused to let him enjoy my embarrassment. I held his gaze and reached for his hand, placing it over my breast. The grin disappeared from his face.

For a second, Lucien simply stared at me, clearly not expecting that from me.

"Careful, Bella," he murmured, his eyes holding mine. "You’re making it very difficult for me to behave."

His gaze dropped to my lips again, but he chose to kiss my chin instead, his hand still cupping my breast. My nipple hardened beneath his palm, pressing against the thin fabric between us.

Before either of us could say anything, there was a knock on the door. A second later, it swung open, and Jasmine walked in. Whatever she had been about to say seemed to die on her lips, and her steps came to a sudden halt.

For a moment, her eyes remained fixed on Lucien and me. I was still sitting in his chair with him bent over me. Her gaze slowly dropped to where his hand was casually placed.

When she looked back at my face, the change in her expression was impossible to miss. Her lips pressed into a thin line, and the hand holding the door tightened around the handle.

Lucien finally glanced over his shoulder. Unlike me, he didn’t seem even slightly uncomfortable about being caught like this.

"Jasmine?" She blinked, maybe trying to remember why she had come here in the first place.

Her eyes were already shining with unshed tears. She swallowed and tried to steady herself before looking at Lucien. "Am I interrupting something?" I opened my mouth to answer, but Lucien spoke first.

"Yes." His expression had changed completely. "And next time you knock on my door, wait for me to answer before you walk in."

Jasmine stared at him. "Lucien, I came here because—"

"Leave." Her lips parted, but she didn’t move.

Lucien’s eyes hardened. "I said leave, Jasmine." He said softly.

For a second, I thought she might argue. Instead, she pressed her lips together and looked at me one last time before turning toward the door.