Forbidden Touch

Chapter4

Nora

A shiver ran straight down my spine at the dark, possessive thread woven through his words. It was infuriating. It was terrifying. And worst of all, I told myself I didn't want to be locked away in my room without him.

"I have a review at nine," I breathed, forcing my eyes to stay locked on his gaze. "I'm coming with you."

A ghost of an approving smirk flashed at the corner of his mouth before his face hardened back into stone. "Good girl."

He opened the door and led me into the dim garage. parked in the center stall was a matte-black Aston Martin SUV. Julian pressed the key fob, the lights flashing once with a quiet chirp. He opened the passenger door for me, resting his hand on the roof frame so I had to brush past his torso to climb into the seat.

As I pulled my legs inside, his gaze lingered on the slit of my dark skirt, his eyes darkening before he slammed the door shut.

The door sealed with an airtight, heavy thud, cutting off all sound from the outside world. Seconds later, Julian climbed into the driver’s seat. The engine roared to life with a deep, purring rumble that vibrated sending a strange, continuous tremor up through my thighs.

He didn't put the car in gear immediately. Instead, he reached into the center console, pulled out a small, sleek black transponder, and pressed a code into the keypad before clipping it to the sun visor.

At the end of the long driveway, the massive gates began to roll open at a snail's pace. Standing at the stone pillars were two men in dark suits I had never seen before not the house staff, but security personnel, their arms crossed, eyes scanning the perimeter with hard, watchful expressions.

"Julian," I tried again, turning in my seat to look at him as he backed the vehicle out of the garage. "Who are those men? Is my mother in danger? Is Arthur?"

"Arthur knows how to handle his business," Julian said coldly, turning the steering wheel with one hand while keeping the other casually rested on the center console, mere inches from my knee. "And your mother is with him. They are in a secure building downtown. You are the only one who was left unprotected at the estate."

My throat went dry. "Unprotected? From what?"

He smoothly accelerated down the winding, tree-lined estate road, Dense morning fog clung to the trees lining the drive, creating a frightening, closed-in tunnel of gray and green.

"There are people in this city, Nora, who view the Vance name as an opportunity," Julian said softly, his eyes flicking to the rearview mirror every few seconds. "Arthur is public-facing. He makes friends, he makes deals, he makes promises. I build things. And when people try to tear down what I build, I eliminate the threat."

He turned his head slightly, giving me a dark, heavy glance that made my pulse spike. "You are Arthur’s step-daughter now. You carry the name whether you want to or not. That makes you a target for anyone looking for leverage."

"Leverage?" I repeated, my breath hitching as his right hand shifted off the console and rested lightly on the side of my thigh, his fingers pressing into the fabric of my skirt. The heat of his palm burned through the cloth instantly, sending a wave of electricity straight to my core.

"A vulnerability," Julian corrected, his voice dropping low. His thumb stroked a slow, deliberate circle against my outer thigh, a touch so casual yet so intensely possessive it made my hips instinctively tilt toward him. "And I don't allow vulnerabilities in my household."

My heart pounded violently. I knew I should pull away. I knew I should push his hand off my leg, demand that he keep his eyes on the road, remind him that he was my step-uncle, a man who belonged to the family hierarchy I was supposed to respect.

Instead, I sat frozen, my lips parted, my body melting under the heavy, intoxicating pressure of his touch.

"Julian... you shouldn't," I whispered, though there was no real strength behind the words.

"Shouldn't what?" he asked smoothly, not taking his eyes off the road ahead, though his thumb continued its slow, tormenting friction over my skin, sliding an inch higher toward the hem of my skirt. "Shouldn't protect you? Or shouldn't touch you?"

Before I could answer, the navigation screen on the dashboard flashed bright red, overriding the map display. A sharp, rhythmic chime echoed through the car's speakers.

Julian’s hand froze on my leg. His head snapped toward the rearview mirror, his eyes narrowing into dangerous slits.

I turned in my seat and looked through the rear glass.

Emerging from the thick fog behind us, coming off a side trail that bordered the rear of the Vance estate property, was a dark, unmarked full-sized SUV with tinted windows. It wasn't slowing down. It was accelerating hard, closing the distance between us at a terrifying speed.

"Hold on," Julian said quietly, his voice devoid of all emotion, pure, cold steel.

He didn't wait for me to brace myself. He slammed his foot down on the accelerator, and the heavy engine roared with violent power, throwing my e hard back against the leather seat as the vehicle shot forward into the fog.

My heart beat rised with the violent vibration of the car engine. Out the rear glass, the black SUV was pressing through the wall of autumn fog, its front grille closing the distance between us with terrifying speed.

Julian’s face was pure and unyielding. He didn't swear. He didn't panic. His knuckles were stark white where his hands gripped the steering wheel, his eyes flicking between the narrow, winding road ahead and the mirror above us.

"Julian" My voice cracked, raw and thin against the roar of the V12.

"Quiet, Nora," he said. It wasn't shouted. It was a low, absolute command as he threw the car into a sharp hairpin turn.