Lunar Temptations

Ch 34

In one swift move, his left hand swept underneath me, lifting me off the stair step and entirely into his arms. I clutched his shirt tightly, afraid that I would fall.

"Leave. I don't want to see you both around when she's with me." If I wasn't mistaken, then he had almost growled at them. A threat lay underneath his tone. My ankle was suddenly the least of my worries as I watched the men's faces go paler. They might mirror mine because all I could feel right now was Zayden's scent, and him too close to me.

"Yes, Alpha." They said in unison and turned around to leave. I had never seen men scurrying away that fast. This once, they had even beaten the cats I was comparing them to. I swallowed and waited for him to let go of me, but nothing happened. Instead, he turned around and carried me downstairs.

"Hey! I can walk on my own." I said, kicking my legs around. His jaw clenched, but he didn't reply. The look on his face was stoic and deadly as usual; it was as if this man had forgotten to smile. Besides, he dared to appoint bodyguards for me only to order them to leave right when I was making them a generous offer. Not only that, he sneaked up on me only to make me lose my balance and fall into his arms.

I think it was safe to say now that he wasn't only paranoid but manipulative too.

Yet there I was, giving in to his hold and watching him carry me to the dining table. He might look pissed, but his grip on me was possessive as if somebody would snatch me off his hands. Why was he like this? Why was he so stoic and heartless one moment and the next, so considerate? He had read my expressions when my ankle pained and had picked me up then. If these were not mixed signals, then I didn't know what were.

He carefully sat me down on the chair. I tried to put some weight on my feet to check if it was strained, but fortunately, it was not. The pain was there, but I could walk, and I had barely taken a few steps when my eyes landed on the table. My heart jumped at the sight. On a plate, a scrumptious sausage and egg sandwich awaited me alongside a warm cup of coffee. It was steaming hot, and I gulped, taking in the sight.

"Danna really outdid herself today." A smile appeared on my face. It was usually pancakes or even eggs and bacon sometimes, but this sandwich was definitely one of my favourites. I wasn't an over-the-top breakfast meal kind of person, and a simple cup of coffee with a small meal would be enough for me.

Zayden took his seat across from me, and so did I.

"I would appreciate reviews," he said when I picked up the sandwich.

"Why would I give a review to you? It's not like you made it." I said, taking a bite out of the sandwich. Once I had swallowed the bite and looked up to find him staring at me with an arched brow, did I realize?

"You did not make it, right?" The flavours swirling in my mouth were unlike any I had tasted before. The sauce was exactly my type, a little tangy with the right balance. It couldn't possibly be his creation since last I checked, his culinary skills were pretty bad.

When he didn't reply and quietly watched me eat, I turned to something else for an answer. The kitchen behind us was a mess with dirty dishes splattered everywhere. In short, it wasn't the work of Danna.

"You made it, alright," I mumbled, turning back to face him. He was already eating his, and I decided to finish in silence. I had to admit though, the sandwich was pretty good for his level, which I was guessing had also changed in the past years. I took the last bite and was about to take a sip of my coffee when I noticed a bit of sauce on my finger. I dragged my tongue along it slowly, savouring the taste and made sure to get all of it. When I was done, my eyes found another pair staring at me.

Zayden's gaze resembled that night when he had managed to make me moan. Desire clouded them, and that bastard wasn't even trying to hide it even after what I had said to him last night. Crimson started coating my cheeks, and I cleared my throat before anything could start to build up.

"I didn't know you could cook that well," I said, taking a sip of my mocha. It flowed like holy water down my throat, satiating my thirst for early-morning caffeine. "I can't. Danna helped me." He admitted, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

"Way to impress a girl." I rolled my eyes and immediately bit my tongue. I wasn't supposed to say that.

Way to embarrass yourself, girl! - my conscience scolded me.

It was too late though. He had already c****d his head to the side with intrigue, mischief swirling in his eyes. "So, Miss Dawson, shall I consider you impressed?" He asked, eyes narrowing in on me. I pretended to consider it and then opened my mouth to reply, but he was quick to cut me off.

"But you don't deserve an impression after the stunt you had pulled there." His thumb pointed in the direction of the stairs, and I found myself dumbfounded at his words. The mischievous glint was still present in his look, but he seemed serious now. What stunt was he talking about? I was talking to my bodyguards, asking them to teach me combat. What could possibly be that outrageous about it?

I held his gaze, daring him. "If you count asking my bodyguards to teach me hand-to-hand combat a stunt, then you are delusional." I stood up and began to walk away when his hand reached out to grab mine, stopping me midway.

"You're not going anywhere," he stated. "Excuse me?" I raised a questionable brow at him. It didn't last long because his looks beat mine, the very next second when he gave me a deadly glare. Standing up, he leaned into me. I clenched my jaws, trying hard to stop my pounding heart from going any faster. My mind would automatically begin to go back to that night when neither of us could get enough of each other.

"Your little stunts will get you punished, Red." His voice was barely a whisper, yet it managed to give me goosebumps all over.