Chapter 252
Chapter 252:
I stopped in front of his desk, blocking out the overhead lights, and leaned down until we were eye to eye. My hand pressed flat against the partition wall.
“I believe,” I rumbled, my voice carrying easily through the silent room, “you have something that belongs to me p>
Ben opened his mouth. No sound came out. He simply raised one shaking finger and pointed toward the plant.
I stepped around the foliage.
Adella was pressed against the wall, clutching the brown paper bag to her chest like a lifeline. Her eyes were wide with panic that shifted instantly into relief the moment they found mine.
𝘙е𝖺𝘥 𝖿𝘳e𝗲 n𝗼𝗏𝖾𝗹s оո.с𝗼𝘮
“Dallas,” she breathed.
“Hello, little wolf p>
I didn’t give her time to argue or fabricate a story. I bent down, hooked an arm around her waist, and hoisted her over my shoulder in one fluid motion.
“Dallas! Put me down!” she squeaked, hammering her small fists against my back.
“Quiet,” I said, though there was no real heat behind it—only possession. I turned to face the room. Every eye in the office was fixed on us. Ben Carter looked to be praying to a god he didn’t believe in.
“Get back to work,” I ordered.
The sound of frantic typing resumed instantly.
I carried her into the elevator, ignoring her protests until the doors slid shut and sealed us in. I didn’t put her down. I savored the weight of her against me, the warmth of her body seeping into my side.
“You’re insane,” she whispered into my jacket. “Gigi is going to kill us p>
“Gigi,” I said as the elevator reached the garage level, “is the one who told me to come get you p>
The doors opened to the VIP garage. Gigi was waiting beside her vintage Rolls Royce, her driver holding the door. When she saw me stride out with Adella thrown over my shoulder, her eyebrows rose sharply—and then a slow, satisfied smirk spread across her face.
I marched directly up to her and set Adella down on her feet, keeping a possessive arm clamped around her waist and pulling her flush against my side.
“I took your advice, Grandmother,” I said smoothly. “You were right. The accountant didn’t appreciate her p>
Adella looked between us, stunned and flushed, her lips parted. She looked beautiful. She looked like mine.
Ragnar howled in triumph. I couldn’t resist—I needed to seal the performance, needed to taste her.
I cupped Adella’s jaw, tilted her head back, and crushed my mouth to hers. It wasn’t gentle. It was a claiming, a branding. I devoured her gasp, my tongue sweeping against hers, tasting the coffee and fear and sweetness that was uniquely her. For a moment the garage dissolved entirely. There was only the bond, humming like a live wire stretched between us.
When I pulled back, Adella was breathless, her eyes dazed.
“Well,” Gigi said, clapping her hands together once. “That’s more like it. Bring her to Sunday tea, Dallas. Don’t be late p>
She stepped into her car. The driver closed the door with a soft, definitive click, and the Rolls Royce purred away into the afternoon light.