Page 24

Panic surged through her as she struggled to break free, but his grip only tightened. His lips found her neck, his teeth sinking in, biting her as if punishing her.
"Ah—" She winced, but her voice came out in a hushed whisper, afraid of alerting her parents. She pressed her palms against his chest, trying to push him away, but he didn’t budge.
Hearing her pained gasp, he immediately licked the spot he had bitten, soothing the sting before nuzzling deeper into her neck, inhaling her scent as if trying to calm himself. His erratic heartbeat slowly steadied, but his grip on her remained firm.
Pulling back just enough to look into her eyes, his possessive gaze locked onto her face. His arms encircled her small frame, pressing her against his broad chest, unwilling to let go. His fingers slid from her nape to the back of her head, threading through her silky hair as he rubbed gently. But his eyes burned with frustration, a deep frown shadowing his features.
"Why the hell did you move and try to disappear?" His voice was low, rough with frustration. His grip on her hair tightened as he leaned in dangerously close. "Do you have any damn idea whatwent through my mind? I could’ve done some pretty bad things if I didn’t find you, Ivy!"
She met his glare with an exasperated sigh. "I just came to my parents’ house for a few days. It’s not a big deal," she said, trying to keep her voice calm. "I didn’t move because of you. I’m still in the same city. If I wanted to disappear, I wouldn’t be here at my parents’ house, would I?"
His jaw clenched as he took a deep breath, his expression darkening. "Then why did you quit your job?" His gaze searched hers, his voice dipping lower. "Is it because of me? I didn’t come to your workplace that often—I just dropped by a few times. But if it bothers you, I’ll stop coming. Alright?"
Ivy tried to free herself from his grasp, but he tightened his hold instead, one large hand engulfing her face, tilting it so her eyes met his again.
"Ivy, I’m chasing you to love you. I don’t want you to give up on the things you love because of me," he said, his voice softer now.
"Christian, let go of me," she muttered, grabbing his wrist to pry his hand off her face, but he only frowned deeper.
"Tell me," he demanded, his voice tight. "Did you leave your job because you didn’t want to see me? Is that it?"
She finally snapped. "What are you thinking?! I wouldn’t leave my job because of you!"
"Ivy?" Patty’s voice suddenly called from the dining room. "Who’s at the door, honey?"
Ivy’s eyes widened in alarm. She shoved Christian back, stepping outside with him before her mother could see. "Just a friend of mine! I’ll be back soon!" she called over her shoulder, quickly shutting the door behind her.
She grabbed Christian’s hand and pulled him down the stairs, and then away from the apartment building. He looked down at their joined hands, his fingers tightening around hers, following her obediently.
A light layer of snow covered the ground from an earlier snowfall, though it had stopped now. The air was crisp, cold enough to nip at her skin.
Once they were far enough from the house, she yanked her hand free. He immediately tried to tighten his hold, but she forcefully pulled away.
"You need to leave now," she said, crossing her arms over her chest. Sniffling slightly from the cold, she added, "I’ve already told you everything there is to know. You shouldn’t have come here. Why did you come? Don’t come back."
Before she could take another breath, he closed the distance between them. His hands cupped her face, fingers pressing firmly along her jaw as his mouth crushed against hers. His lips moved with fierce determination, rough yet intoxicatingly warm. His tongue traced the seam of her lips before slipping inside, coaxing, demanding, tasting her deeply.
The kiss was wild—hungry and unrestrained—as if he’d been starving for her. His fingers slid back into her hair, gripping tightly as his mouth dominated hers, leaving her breathless and clinging to him. Each stroke of his tongue ignited something deeper, pulling her into the firestorm of his desire.
"Mmmhh—!" She tried to push him away, but he refused to let go, deepening the kiss as if trying to mark his presence on her.
It wasn’t until he had stolen every breath from her lungs, leaving her dazed, that he finally pulled back. But his hands remained on her face, his thumbs stroking her skin as he whispered,"Why are you avoiding me?" His voice was grim, laced with both complaint and desperation. "Ever since I met you, you keep avoiding me, Ivy. You don’t answer my calls. You don’t even acknowledge me. Is it because you don’t want me around?"
She met his gaze, her lips still tingling from his kiss. "If I said yes, would you leave me alone?"
Christian’s expression turned even more grim. His jaw tightened, his face dark with displeasure. "If you miss even one of my calls now," he warned, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper, "I’ll show up at your parents’ place to see you."
"Christian!" she snapped, forcefully removing his hands from her face and pushing him back. "Who do you think you are? Do you think I have nothing better to do than sit around worrying about missing your calls all day? And who are you to me? My boyfriend? Do I owe you an immediate response?"
Christian inhaled sharply, his brows furrowing. Then, without a word, he unwrapped the muffler from around his neck and looped it around hers.
"Stop it—" she protested, trying to take it off, but he tightened it. Holding both ends, he yanked her close, his grip firm but gentle.
"If I were your boyfriend," he murmured, his deep voice sending a shiver down her spine, "you and I would be married with three kids by now."
Ivy’s fingers instinctively curled around the fabric of the muffler, her grip tightening. His words hit her like a slow-burning fire, heating her from the inside out, igniting something she wasn’t ready to face.
Married. Three kids.