CHAPTER 5

The cool air of the bistro had been a relief, but as Orion led Noah out onto the sun-drenched sidewalk, the atmosphere between them grew heavy with a different kind of heat. Orion’s hand remained firmly planted on the small of Noah’s back, his palm spanning nearly the entire width of Noah's narrow waist. Every step Noah took caused his wide, curvy hips to sway, and with every sway, he brushed against Orion’s solid, muscular thigh.

To any passerby, they were a striking image: a 6’4” titan of a man, built like a fortress, shielding a delicate, porcelain-skinned beauty who looked as though he might bruise if the wind blew too hard.

"Orion?" Noah looked up, his fluffy brown hair catching the light as he tilted his head. "Since we’re already downtown, and since my 'date' was cut so short... would you mind terribly if we did a little shopping? I saw the most darling silk cardigans in the window of that new boutique on the promenade."

Orion looked down at Noah. He saw the hopeful shimmer in those doe eyes, the way Noah’s pink lips were parted slightly in anticipation. The high-powered CEO in him should have been checking his watch, calculating the millions he was losing by being away from his desk. But the man in him—the dominant, obsessed hunter—only saw an opportunity to keep Noah under his wing for a few more hours.

"Anything you want, Noah," Orion rumbled, his voice a low, possessive thrum. "Lead the way."

Noah beamed, his entire face lighting up with a "sunshine" energy that rivaled his niece’s. He grabbed Orion’s massive forearm, his small hand barely able to wrap around the thick, corded muscle. "You’re the best! Come on, it’s just two blocks away."

The boutique, L’Oiseau, was the pinnacle of high-end fashion—quiet, scented with expensive sandalwood, and catering only to the city’s elite. When the bells chimed above the door, the head stylist, a chic woman named Celeste, immediately looked up. Her eyes widened as she took in the pair.

She saw Orion first—the country’s most eligible bachelor, a man whose face graced every financial magazine. Then, her gaze dropped to the man attached to his arm. Noah looked like a doll, his feminine face flushed from the walk, his chest rising and falling softly under his linen shirt.

"Welcome," Celeste said, gliding toward them with a knowing, professional smile. "What a stunning pair you make. It is so rare to see a couple with such... complementary aesthetics. The strength and the softness—truly divine."

Noah’s face went from a soft pink to a vibrant, burning crimson in a matter of seconds. He dropped Orion’s arm as if it had turned into hot coal, his hands flying to his cheeks.

"Oh! Oh, no, no!" Noah stammered, his voice jumping an octave in his embarrassment. "You’ve mistaken us! We aren't... we aren't a couple. This is my nephew, Orion. I’m his uncle."

Celeste blinked, her gaze flickering between Orion’s 6’4” frame and Noah’s 5’4” petite stature. She looked at Orion’s hand, which had immediately moved to reclaim his place at Noah’s waist the moment Noah had let go. She saw the dark, predatory intensity in the CEO’s eyes—a look that was anything but "nephew-like."

"My apologies," Celeste said, though her tone suggested she didn't believe a word of Noah’s denial. "A family resemblance, then. Though, if I may say, the devotion in your eyes, Monsieur Orion, is quite remarkable for a nephew."

Orion didn't deny it. He didn't blush. He stood like a pillar of stone, his thumb stroking the silk of Noah’s shirt right at the curve of his hip. "He’s very precious to our family," Orion said, his voice dropping into a register so deep it felt like a physical weight in the room. "We like to keep him close."

Noah was still fanning himself with his hand, his big eyes darting around the store to avoid Orion’s gaze. "Yes! Very close! He’s just a very... very caring boy. Now, about those cardigans?"

The shopping trip quickly turned into a masterclass in Orion’s dominance. Every time Noah picked up a garment, Orion was there, standing so close that Noah was practically enveloped in his scent—expensive cologne, cedarwood, and the raw, masculine heat of his skin.

"What about this one, Orion?" Noah held up a sheer, pale lavender knit. "Is it too much?"

Orion stepped into Noah’s space, his 6’4” shadow falling over the smaller man. He reached out, his large, calloused hand brushing against Noah’s as he took the fabric. He felt the way Noah’s breath hitched.

"The color is perfect for your skin, Noah," Orion murmured, leaning down so his lips were mere inches from Noah’s ear. "But the fabric is too thin. I don't want people seeing what belongs behind closed doors."

Noah blinked, his innocence acting as a shield against the blatant possessiveness in Orion’s words. "You think it’s too revealing? You’re probably right. You always were the one with the better eye for detail. Mother always says you’re so observant."

"I observe what matters," Orion replied.

They moved toward the dressing rooms. Noah had gathered an armful of clothes—soft silks, delicate knits, and a pair of tailored trousers that looked like they were designed to cling to his wide hips and soft, bouncy ass.

"I’ll just be a moment!" Noah said, ducking into the changing room.

Orion didn't sit in the waiting area. He stood right outside the heavy velvet curtain, his arms crossed over his massive chest, a silent sentinel. He could hear the rustle of fabric from inside—the sound of Noah sliding out of his linen shirt, the soft sigh of skin against silk. Orion’s high sex drive flared, his imagination filling in the blanks: the porcelain skin of Noah’s chest, the sensitive pink of his nipples, the curve of his waist.

"Orion?" Noah’s voice came from behind the curtain, sounding small and frustrated. "I... I think I’m stuck. This silk wrap... the tie is in the back and I can't reach it. Could you get a staff member?"

Orion’s eyes darkened. He didn't call for Celeste. He simply pushed the curtain aside and stepped into the small, mirrored space.

The air in the dressing room was instantly pressurized. With Orion’s 6’4” frame inside, there was barely any room to breathe. Noah stood there, his back to the mirrors, looking like a caught rabbit. He was wearing a wrap-style silk top in a deep emerald green. It was supposed to be tied at the small of his back, but he had managed to get the ribbons tangled.

Because it wasn't tied, the front of the top hung open, revealing the soft, creamy swell of Noah’s chest and the delicate line of his collarbones.

"Oh! Orion! I said a staff member," Noah squeaked, his hands instinctively coming up to cover himself, though his small palms couldn't hide the fullness of his frame. "It’s not proper!"

"Turn around, Noah," Orion commanded. It wasn't a request. It was the voice that commanded boardrooms, the voice that Noah had always obeyed without knowing why.

Noah turned slowly, his wide, curvy hips brushing against Orion’s slacks as he moved. The mirrors reflected them from every angle—the giant and the doll.

Orion’s hands were huge as he reached for the thin silk ribbons. His fingers, marked with dark tattoos, looked dangerously masculine against the porcelain white of Noah’s back. He worked slowly, his knuckles grazing the sensitive skin of Noah’s spine. He felt Noah shiver, a long, languid tremor that went from his neck down to his bouncy backside.

"You’re so warm," Noah whispered, his head drooping forward, exposing the nape of his neck. "And your hands are so big. I feel like you could snap me in half, Orion."

"I would never snap you, Noah," Orion breathed, his chest pressing against Noah’s back as he tightened the knot. He leaned down, his face buried for a split second in Noah’s fluffy, fragrant hair. "I would only hold you."

Noah let out a soft, shaky breath. "You’re such a sweet nephew. Truly. I don't know why the papers say you’re so cold and ruthless. You’re just a big teddy bear to me."

Orion pulled back just enough to look at Noah’s reflection in the mirror. He saw the innocence in those doe eyes, the way Noah truly believed that this—this suffocating, possessive proximity—was just "family affection."

Orion reached around, his hands settling on Noah’s waist, his fingers almost meeting at the center of Noah’s stomach. He squeezed gently, feeling the softness of Noah’s body, the curves that shouldn't belong to a man.

"Do you like the fit?" Orion asked, his gaze fixed on Noah’s reflection.

"It’s... it’s very tight," Noah panted, his chest heaving under the silk. "But I like it. It makes me feel... secure."

"Good," Orion said, his voice a dark promise. "Secure is exactly how you should feel with me."

When they finally emerged from the dressing room to pay, Noah was glowing, clutching his bags as if they were treasures. Celeste watched them, her eyes lingering on the way Orion walked slightly behind Noah, his shadow completely enveloping the smaller man.

"Will that be all for the couple today?" she asked with a playful wink.

Noah laughed, though his face was still pink. "Still not a couple, Celeste! But thank you. Orion, tell her she’s being silly."

Orion leaned over the counter, his massive frame dwarfing the register. He handed over his black credit card without a second thought, his eyes never leaving the back of Noah’s head.

"She isn't being silly, Noah," Orion said, loud enough for only Noah to hear. "She’s just seeing what’s right in front of her."

Noah turned, blinking up at him. "What was that, dear?"

"I said, I’ll carry the bags," Orion said, a dominant smile playing on his lips as he reached down to take the heavy shopping bags from Noah’s small hands. "A sweet nephew doesn't let his uncle carry his own weight, does he?"

Noah giggled, looping his arm through Orion’s once more. "I suppose not. Let’s go home, Orion. I want to show your sister everything we bought!"

As they walked out of the boutique, Orion looked down at the soft, curvy man at his side. The shopping trip had been a success. He had erased Marcus from Noah’s mind, he had marked his territory in public, and he had felt the warmth of Noah’s skin under his own.

The obsession was no longer just a hunger; it was an all-consuming fire. And as Noah chattered away about silk and Paris, Orion simply tightened his arm, drawing the "sweet" uncle closer into his side, knowing that very soon, "nephew" would be the last thing Noah called him.