CHAPTER FOUR
1122 Words
The sun is streaming through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the dining room, making the crystal chandelier above the long mahogany table sparkle like a collection of expensive diamonds. I am sitting in a chair that probably costs more than my car, staring down at a plate of eggs benedict that looks like it belongs on a food magazine cover. Silas is sitting at the head of the table, perfectly composed in a tailored charcoal suit, reading something on a tablet while he sips black coffee.
The silence is thick, but it is not the heavy, suffocating silence of last night. It is charged. Every time his silver spoon clinks against the porcelain, I feel a tiny jolt in my chest. I keep stealing glances at him over the rim of my orange juice glass. The way his shirt sleeves are rolled up just enough to show his thick, tanned wrists makes my mouth go dry.
"If you stare any harder, Ivy, you are going to burn a hole in my forehead," Silas says, his voice smooth and amused, though he doesn't look up from his screen.
I choke slightly on my juice, feeling the heat climb up my neck. "I wasn't staring. I was… analyzing. You have a very symmetrical face. It is scientifically interesting."
Silas finally looks up, a ghost of a smirk playing on his lips. One eyebrow arches in that way that always makes me feel like a flustered teenager again. "Scientifically interesting? Is that what they teach you at the law firm? How to categorize your guardian’s bone structure?"
"It’s called being observant," I counter, trying to regain my dignity. "A good lawyer notices everything. For instance, I’ve noticed you’ve had four cups of coffee and haven't touched your toast. Are you a billionaire or a caffeine-addicted vampire?"
Silas chuckles, a low, rich sound that vibrates through the table and settles right in my marrow. "Neither. Just a man with a very long to-do list and a very persistent houseguest who refuses to follow the rules."
"I followed the rules! I stayed inside. I locked the door," I point out, waving a piece of bacon for emphasis. "I even resisted the urge to explore the secret dungeon I assume you have in the basement."
"There is no dungeon, Ivy," he says, leaning back in his chair. The movement stretches the fabric of his suit jacket across his broad chest, and I have to force my eyes to stay on his face. "Though if you keep wandering onto balconies at three in the morning, I might have to consider building one."
"It was one time! And I saw silver eyes, Silas. I am telling you, there was a giant dog or something out there."
Silas’s expression flattens for a split second, his gray eyes darkening. "It was a stray. This is the mountains, Ivy. We have wildlife. That is why the rules exist. Now, are you finished? I have to get to a site meeting, and you have that internship to attend to."
"Wait, you’re actually letting me go to work?" I blink, surprised. I expected him to chain me to the library.
"I am having my driver, Leo, not your brother, a different Leo take you," he says, standing up. He towers over the table, his presence suddenly commanding the entire room. "He will wait for you in the parking lot. He will bring you back. No stops. No coffee runs. No wandering off to save a forest."
I roll my eyes, though my heart is doing a little dance at the protectiveness in his tone. "Yes, Alpha. Whatever you say."
The word slips out before I can stop it. I meant it as a joke, a jab at his bossy nature, but the air in the room suddenly turns electric. Silas freezes, his gaze snapping to mine. The teasing light in his eyes vanishes, replaced by a raw, pulsing intensity that makes the breath hitch in my throat. The s****l magnetism is so strong it feels like a physical pull, dragging me toward him across the expensive carpet.
Silas takes a step toward me, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "Don't call me that, Ivy."
"Why not?" I breathe, my heart hammering against my ribs. "You certainly act like one."
He stops inches from me, the scent of cedar and rain-washed earth wrapping around me like a blanket. He leans down, his face so close I can see the golden flecks in his gray eyes. "Because if you call me that, I might stop caring about being a gentleman. I might decide that I don't want to share you with the rest of the world today."
My breath hitches. The tension is a wire pulled tight, humming with the force of three years of repressed desire. For a second, I think he might actually kiss me. I want him to. I want to know if his lips are as hot as his skin.
Suddenly, the front door chimes, breaking the spell. Silas blinks, the amber fire in his eyes receding as he straightens his tie with a sharp, jerky motion.
"That will be the car," he says, his voice stiff. "Go. Before I change my mind."
I scramble to grab my bag, my face flaming. "Right. Work. Law. Saving trees. I’m going."
I practically sprint to the foyer, nearly tripping over my own heels. I find Cassian leaning against the doorframe, looking effortlessly smug in a leather jacket.
"Morning, Princess," Cassian chirps, his eyes dancing with mischief. "You look a little flushed. Did Silas find a typo in your morning brief?"
"Shut up, Cassian," I mutter, pushing past him.
"He’s a bit grumpy in the mornings, isn't he?" Cassian calls after me as I head toward the waiting SUV. "Just wait until the full moon. He gets real cuddly then."
"Cassian!" Silas’s voice booms from the dining room, sounding like a thunderclap.
I don't look back. I jump into the backseat of the SUV, my head spinning. As the car pulls away from the estate, I look back at the glass-and-stone fortress. Silas is standing at the massive front doors, watching me go. Even from this distance, I can feel the weight of his gaze.
He is my father’s best friend. He is sixteen years older than me. He is probably a werewolf. And he is definitely driving me insane.
"So," the driver, Leo, says as we hit the main road. "Mr. Vane said I’m not allowed to let you talk to any attractive men today. Does that include the trees, or just the humans?"
I groan, sinking into the leather seat. "Just drive the car, Leo."
It is going to be a very long day.
- Writer
