we can

Katy POV

The buzz of my tattoo gun filled the small shop as I worked on shading a phoenix on my client's shoulder when the bell above the door chimed.

"We are booked for the day," I shouted without looking up.

"You can schedule an appointment for next week." I added.

"I am here for you."

My hand froze. I recognised that voice from last night. But wait a minute, what was he doing at my tattoo shop?

I looked up to find Alpha Lucian standing in my doorway, dressed in a perfectly tailored suit.

He looked so out of place it was laughable.

His eyes wandered around the small shop like he was inspecting property he might buy.

The Alpha aura emanating from him made my wolf stir. My client –Marcus– stiffened.

Lucian's gaze slid to him in an assessing manner.

He didn't say a word, only looked at him with those dark and unreadable eyes.

I narrowed my eyes. What was he trying to do?

"I—" Marcus cleared his throat. "How much longer do we have?" He suddenly asked.

"About an hour.” I replied, sparing Lucian a warning glance.

I could tell what he was doing –scaring away my client and he was succeeding in his ploy.

"Actually," Marcus said, already starting to sit up. "I just remembered I have somewhere to be."

"All of a sudden?" I asked with a grumble.

"Yes,it slipped my mind." He said and pulled his shirt back on with shaking hands.

"We can finish this another time. Just text me."

He didn't give me time to respond as he grabbed his jacket and practically fled.

I stared at the empty doorway then slowly turned to face Lucian.

I pulled off my gloves with more force than necessary.

"What the hell was that?" I snapped.

"That was me clearing your schedule." He walked further into the shop, examining the flash art on my walls without any care in the world.

"You can't just walk in here and intimidate my clients!" I refuted, annoyance slowly creeping inside me.

"I didn't intimidate him." Lucian pointed out, seemingly amused by the whole situation.

"I simply stood here."

"You glared at him until he ran away!" I countered.

"Did I?" He picked up one of my sketchbooks, flipping through it casually like he owned it.

"I don't recall glaring at him. Maybe he did have somewhere to be." Lucian shrugged.

Somewhere to be my foot.Clearly he was lying!

"What are you doing here, Lucian?" I asked. He had no business coming to such a rundown place.

"You texted me last night." Lucian replied then set down a sketchbook he was holding.

“ I assumed that meant you wanted to finalize our arrangement." He said, turning fully to me.

"I said I had conditions…"

"Which we will discuss." He cut me off then pulled out a paper document from his inside jacket pocket. "But first, you need to sign this." He said, handing me the paper.

I took it and scanned the text. It was a non-disclosure agreement.

"You really think of everything, don't you?" I mocked. It was a contract marriage, did he have to go so far?

"I don't leave things to chance." He answered, leaning against my work table and watching me with those dark eyes. "Sign it, Katy."

Something about the way he said my name made my stomach flip. I grabbed a pen and signed quickly before I could overthink it.

"Good girl."

Heat rushed to my face. "Don't…"

"Don't what?" He straightened and moved closer.

“ You don't want to hear the truth? That you are being very good and cooperative?” He mused.

"This is a business arrangement," I reminded him, backing up slightly.

"It is." He replied and took a step forward, covering the little distance I put between us.

Lucian kept advancing until my back hit the edge of my tattoo station.

“ But that doesn't mean I can't appreciate my business partner." He whispered into my ears before blowing a generous amount of air into them.

My heart hammered against my ribs. He was so close that I could smell his cologne.

" I want to discuss the contract.” I said, hoping that would make him pull away.

"Go ahead. I'm listening." His hands came down on either side of me, caging me against the table.

He didn't touch me but he was close enough that I could feel the heat radiating from his body.

My mouth went dry. I could feel my body responding to his proximity in ways that had nothing to do with the business at hand.

"I want a certain clause included,” I said, my voice embarrassingly breathless.

Lucian's eyebrow shot up. "Which one?”

"About our relationship affairs." I forced myself to meet his eyes, trying to ignore the way my pulse was racing.

“Since this is not real, we should be allowed to find companionship elsewhere. If you find someone you like, you can be with her.

The same with me, if I find love…"

Something dangerous flickered across his face forcing me to cut short my statement.

His jaw tightened like he was controlling himself.

"No. Absolutely not.”

"No?" I blinked. "But you said…"

"I said this is a business arrangement and part of that arrangement is that you are mine for three years." Lucian declared, then leaned in closer.

I felt my breath catch. "I don't share, Katy. Not my things, not my property, and definitely not my wife."

"I'm not your property—" I tried to protest.

“Really?” His hand came up to my face, thumb tracing along my jawline. The touch sent electricity racing down my spine.

“ You will be wearing my ring, living in my house and carrying my name. That makes you mine."

The possessiveness in his voice made my legs feel weak. I gripped the edge of the table behind me, trying to steady myself.

I was suddenly more aware of how trapped I was between the hard surface and his solid body.

His other hand came up and settled on the table right beside my hip. I was completely caged now.

His body was so close I could feel the warmth of him through my thin t-shirt.

"This is just business, nothing more.” I whispered. At that moment, I didn't know if I was reminding Lucian or convincing myself.

"Keep telling yourself that." His thumb moved from my jaw to trace my lower lip, and I couldn't stop the small gasp that escaped. "But we both know you're lying."

"I'm not…"

“ Aren't you?” He mused, tilting my chin up and forcing me to look at him.

“I can hear your heart racing,Katy. I can smell…" His nostrils flared slightly and his pupils dilated.

“ I can smell exactly what I am doing to you right now."

Oh God.

Heat flooded my face as I realized what he meant. Wolves could scent arousal, and right now, there was no hiding what my body was doing. The ache between my thighs had become impossible to ignore.

The look on his face told it all, he could tell how messy I was getting.

"Don’t be so full of yourself."

That was meant to come out sarcastic but it came out breathy, wanting.

"I am observant." Lucian refuted.

His face drew closer,his lips barely an inch from mine.

“ I can feel that you're about two seconds away from begging me to kiss you."

My fingers dug into my palms and I used that pain to ground myself before I did exactly that — begging him to fucking kiss me.

Every nerve in my body screamed for me to close that last inch of distance, to find out if his mouth tasted as good as it looked.

"I'm not going to beg," I said, but I could even hear how unconvincing it sounded.

"No?" His hand slid from my chin down to my throat and curled around it, possessively.

"Then why haven't you pushed me away? Why are your pupils dilated , Katy.

Why…" His other hand moved to my hip.

He pressed his thumb against the bare skin where my shirt had ridden up. "...can I feel you trembling?"

I was trembling and so wet I could feel it, knew he could smell it, and the embarrassment of that only seemed to make it worse.

"Lucian…" His name came out like a desperate plea.

"Say it again." His lips brushed against my ear and I felt my knees buckle .

His hand on my hip tightened, steadying me. "Say my name like that again."

"We can't—"

"We can." His mouth moved to my jaw, not quite kissing, just barely touching. "We are going to be married, Katy. What is wrong with a preview?"

Everything. That's what I wanted to scream but I didn't.

I couldn't think straight with his hands on me, his body pressed against mine and his scent wrapping around me like smoke.

His hand slid higher on my hip and his fingers crawled possessively across my ribcage.

Lucian’s thumb brushed the underside of my breast through my shirt earning a whimper from me.

"That's it," he murmured against my skin. "Stop fighting it."

His mouth lingered at the corner of mine now as if waiting for a go ahead.

All I had to do was turn my head a fraction of an inch and…

"Katy, I brought…”

That was followed by a scream.