Chapter 167: After work hours.
ELLA.
I truly could not go with him. The mere thought of agreeing made my chest tighten with anxiety. The triplets would absolutely not be happy if I walked out of the building with Michael, and the fallout from their fury was the last thing I wanted to face today.
More than that, I had already opened my heart and acknowledged the three of them as my true mates. Because of that sacred bond, I couldn’t bring myself to do anything that would intentionally sting their hearts or hurt their feelings.
But why on earth was Michael pushing the issue so heavily anyway?
A sour taste formed in my mouth as I stared at him. Celebrating a corporate victory at a private apartment or right here in the comfort of the office made absolutely no difference at all.
"I am just kidding, Theresa!" Michael burst out suddenly, the tense silence broken by the sound of his light, airy laugh. He raised his hands in a playful surrender, shaking his head. "You looked so completely tense just now."
I forced my lips to curve upward, offering a small, polite smile to quickly wave off the awkward conversation.
But deep down, beneath the calm mask on my face, I was a hundred percent sure that Michael had not been joking in the slightest. There was a strange, hidden edge to his behavior lately—something dark and shifting about him that I couldn’t quite put my finger on or understand.
"Let’s just celebrate after work hours instead," I added, keeping my voice light as I stepped to the side, smoothly walking right past him toward the water dispenser.
I filled my cup, the cool water soothing the dryness in my throat. Turning back, I gave him a brief, polite wave goodbye before turning on my heel to walk down the long hallway toward the office.
I hadn’t even reached the silver elevator doors yet when the air shifted behind me. Before I could turn my head, a firm, incredibly strong hand shot out from the shadows, wrapping securely around my arm and violently pulling me into the open elevator capsule.
My back hit the wall of the elevator, and my heart hammered against my ribs.
"What in the world is wrong with you?" I demanded, the words snapping out of me with a sharp, paranoid edge.
I twisted my arm, tugging hard as I tried to break my wrist free from the iron grip.
My efforts amounted to absolutely nothing; the hold didn’t loosen even a fraction of an inch.
The heavy metal doors glided shut with a soft click, trapping us in the small space. In an instant, Lugard moved. He used his massive frame to press me completely flush against the wall, his body heat radiating through my clothes. Before I could draw breath to speak, his mouth slammed down onto mine in a fierce, possessive kiss.
I froze, completely stunned by the sudden, wild explosion of his behavior. Every line of his body was rigid, and I could taste the raw, pulsing frustration in the way he moved against my lips.
He wasn’t just kissing me; he was venting every ounce of his trapped anger and jealousy right into me.
And yet, funny enough, the resistance melted out of my muscles, and I simply leaned into him, allowing him to take exactly what he wanted.
Lugard slowly pulled his lips away from mine, his chest heaving up and down in deep, ragged gasps. The air between us felt thick and hot in the small space of the elevator.
He kept his face just inches from mine, his eyes wide and burning with a fierce, undisguised green wave of jealousy.
"How could you still be standing there and talking to him?" Lugard demanded, his voice dropping into a low, rumbling growl that vibrated against my skin.
I stared up at him, my mind spinning. What on earth was going through his head right now?
"You actually allowed him to put his hands on you, Theresa!" he said, the anger spilling out of him as he ripped one hand away from the wall and ran his fingers wildly through his hair, messing up the neat strands. He shook his head, his jaw clenching so hard the muscles jumped. "He held your hand so easily, like it was the most comfortable thing in the world for him to do."
I drew in a long, steady breath, letting the cool air calm the sudden flutter in my chest. I kept my posture relaxed against the wall, making sure my voice remained soft and level to help bring him back down to earth.
"It was only for a tiny, brief moment, Lugard," I said calmly, offering him a gentle look to soothe his racing temper.
"I do not want anyone else touching you, Theresa," he whispered. He paused, his gaze dropping to my lips before locking back onto my eyes with a heavy, intense seriousness. "I don’t care if it is just for a split second. No one else gets to touch you."
I instantly rolled my eyes toward the ceiling, letting out a small, silent sigh. He was being completely and utterly dramatic over a simple conversation in the cafeteria.
Without warning, Lugard reached down and grabbed both of my hands, lifting them up between us. He used the palms of his own large hands to vigorously rub against my skin, wiping down my fingers and wrists over and over again.
He moved with a frantic sort of focus, acting for all the world like he was physically scrubbing Michael’s lingering touch completely off my skin. Once he seemed satisfied that the invisible marks were gone, his grip tightened, locking his long fingers firmly between mine.
"Remember this, Theresa. No other man is ever permitted to hold you or touch you like that," he warned, his voice dead serious as he stared down at me, making sure I understood every single word.
Looking at the fierce, protective pout on his face, a strange warmth bloomed in my stomach. I actually found his possessive behavior incredibly cute and terribly childish at the exact same time.
He looked like a little boy refusing to share his favorite toy, yet the raw power in his frame reminded me exactly what he was.
But really, what could I even do in this situation? I simply had to listen to him and let him have his way.
Lugard’s tight posture finally softened. He reached out, wrapped his strong arms securely around my waist, and pulled me tightly against his broad frame. I didn’t resist.
I leaned forward and gently rested the side of my head right against the center of his chest. I closed my eyes, listening to the loud, rapid thumping of his heartbeat echoing beneath his suit jacket, while the elevator continued its smooth, quiet ride upward.