Chapter 3

3

SOPHIA

I woke up to the soft-gray light of morning filtering in through the curtains.

My body was deliciously sore in all the right places, and the sheets and comforter were tangled around my legs.

I was warm, nestled in bed, but I was very aware I was also alone.

I glanced to the empty spot beside me, seeing ruffled sheets where Lucian had been.

With a soft sigh and a contented smile curving my lips, memories of last night filled my head. We’d never role played like that before, and to say it surpassed any expectation I had in the fantasy department was an understatement.

Lucian certainly had a kinky side, which he showed me when we fucked. And I noticed that every time we were together, those desires he harbored became a little more twisted, as if he were seeing how far he could push me.

And when he’d told me his plans to take part in the festival dressed as Krampus and stalk me until he had his way with me, I knew my desires went a little darker than I ever imagined.

My heart still raced as fragments of the night before rushed back to me—his towering figure, his glowing red eyes… the sheer size of him in that monstrous costume.

And when we’d gotten back to his place, the night had just begun with him fucking me until I was sore and soaked and clinging to him.

My lips tingled with the memory of his kisses, and my skin still hummed and burned from where he held me down and fucked me hard and raw.

Even now, I was sore between my legs with an ache that settled so deep that I knew I’d never be normal again.

And that turned me on like nothing else.

I sat up slowly, the cool air of the room brushing against my bare shoulders as I got my bearings for a moment before fully getting up. I grabbed one of Lucian's sweaters, the material oversized so that it fell to my knees and the neckline hung off one of my shoulders.

The faint scent of his cologne clung to it, and I brought the excess material to my nose and inhaled the warm, familiar scent that had my pussy tingling. After giving myself another second, I curled my toes against the chilled hardwood floor then put on a pair of Lucian’s thick, wool socks and ran my fingers through my tangled, dark hair.

I couldn’t help but glance back at the bed we’d shared only hours ago. The memory of his hands running up and down my body before holding me down to fuck me slammed into my head. His voice echoed through my ears, his dominance so thick and strong as he played the role of Krampus that I swore I still felt him lingering on my skin.

I could have stayed tangled in those sheets all day with him, but I forced myself to leave his room and head toward where I assumed he was. The house was quiet, save for the soft crackle of a fire in the living room.

As I descended the stairs, I paused at the landing, my breath catching while I stared at Lucian’s broad and muscular back as he stood by the stove and fixed breakfast. Looking away from him was hard as hell, but my gaze slid to the large picture windows in the living room. His mountain home was breathtaking.

Snow blanketed the trees and stretched across the land like an endless white canvas. The early-morning light filtered through the evergreens, casting a soft glow over the untouched landscape. And when the sunbeams touched the whiteness of it all, I swore it sparkled with little specks of glitter.

I wrapped his sweater more tightly around me, trying to stave off the cold. It had snowed all night, and while the world outside was transformed into the most beautiful and serene sight, it was freezing.

But as soon as my gaze returned to the breathtaking man now staring at me, a small smile tilting his lips as he leaned against the counter and brought his coffee mug to his mouth to take a long drink from it, my insides warmed instantly.

Lucian was relaxed while he watched me. Then he grabbed the plate of food he just prepared, brought it to the table, and crooked his finger for me to come closer.

God, he was hot. The image of him wearing that Krampus costume slammed into my brain once more, and I pressed my thighs together as I got turned on all over again.

I made my way toward the table and looked at the spread he prepared for us. Lucian had made his way to the fireplace and stoked the flames with deliberate movements, the firelight dancing across his bare chest. Damn him… he knew what he did to me and got off on it. And that was solidified when he glanced over his shoulder and winked at me.

The light and shadows highlighted the sharp lines of his jaw and the soft curve of his full mouth. I shifted toward him, and he turned to face me fully as I approached. I felt my heart race faster when his wicked eyes softened the closer I got.

“Good morning,” I whispered, not sure why I suddenly felt so shy.

“Good morning, beautiful.” His voice was low and rich. “God, you’re stunning with my marks all over you.”

My face heated when I saw where he was looking. I glanced down at my shoulder, the one that was bare because his sweater was too big and hung off me. I saw numerous hickies covering my skin, and the memory of Lucian biting and sucking at my skin last night danced inside my mind.

God, this man made me shy as I tugged the sweater farther over my thighs and glanced down. But Lucian wasn’t having any of that. He tipped my head back with his finger under my chin so that I had to look into his eyes. They were the prettiest shade of light blue and framed by thick, dark lashes.

“I borrowed your sweater,” I whispered, my face feeling so damn hot, especially when I felt him run his finger along the marks he left on me.

“You look fucking good in my clothes.” He stepped closer to me. “Everything of mine suits you.”

There was clear possessiveness in his voice that I loved hearing. Lucian leaned down, brushing a soft kiss against my forehead before gesturing toward the kitchen. I held in my disappointment that he didn’t want to fuck me right here and now in front of the fire.

“Breakfast is ready.” He took my hand and led me toward the table.

When he pulled the chair out for me, I took my seat. He sat beside me, grabbed the edge of my chair, and dragged it toward him, the legs scraping along the floor until we were pressed side-to-side. He had coffee for himself but made me homemade hot chocolate, which even had marshmallows floating on the top.

He’d made zopf —a rich, buttery, braided bread he served with even more butter and jam. There was a cheese and fruit plate in the center of the table and müesli —rolled oats soaked in yogurt and mixed with berries and nuts—drizzled with honey on top.

Lucian had his hand on my thigh, the weight warm and heavy and very possessive.

“Eat, sweetheart.”

I picked up a piece of zopf , and after a bite and my shyness settling, my appetite rose because I’d had a fuck-fest just hours before. I shifted on the chair, my pussy sore, and the motion made me gush, wetness slipping out of me.

I knew exactly what it was.

Lucian’s cum.

It was after I swallowed a mouthful of food that I realized Lucian was watching me and not eating.

“W-What?” I murmured and washed the food down with a large swig of hot chocolate.

“I enjoyed last night,” he said, his voice dropping slightly and dripping with sexual need.

I glanced down and saw his massive erection tenting his gray sweats.

Lucian set his mug down, dipped his finger into the bowl of jam, and brought it to my lips. I was too surprised by the act that I sat there in silence as he smeared the berries over my lips. And then he leaned in and licked it off until my mouth was only slightly sticky from the sugar.

“You were such a good girl for me, Sophia.” He leaned back and ran his tongue over his lips, growling as he kept his gaze unrelenting.

“You make it easy to be,” I replied breathlessly.

“I wasn’t sure how you’d take to the Krampus fantasy,” he continued, his tone heating, “but you surprised me by how hot you fucking were while taking me.”

God, I was flushed and wet—a mixture of my arousal and his cum from last night and early this morning when he unleashed massive loads into my body.

“You gave yourself over to it… to me… completely.” His voice was a purr. “You’re so fucking delicious. You’re the best I’ve ever had, bebbi .”

I was so sore but wanted his cock again. I swallowed hard, my heart racing. Lucian twisted in his seat, braced a forearm on the table, and crowded me. And I loved it. His other hand rested on the back of my chair as he leaned down, his lips brushing my ear.

“You’re wet, aren't you?”

I closed my eyes and shivered as I nodded. “Your cum is slipping out of me,” I confessed.

He growled. “That’s so fucking hot.” He ran the tip of his fingers along the curve of my bare shoulder. “You’re mine, Sophia.” His voice was firm and full of obsessed dominance. “Tell me what I want to hear.”

His warm breath brushed along the shell of my ear, followed by the wet feel of his tongue tracing the same path.

I glanced up at him from under my lashes when he leaned back, knowing what he wanted. “I’m yours.”

“That’s good, bebbi . Really good. Because I don’t want to keep us a secret anymore.”

My smile was instant, and this different kind of warmth filled me.

“I know you wanted to take things slow, but not showing you off as mine and trying to control myself every time you come into my office—all because you want to keep things professional—is really fucking hard, sweetheart.” His gaze was firm and steady. “No more hiding, Sophia. No more sneaking around. I want everyone to know you’re mine.”

My appetite was gone because my need to be with Lucian in every single way overrode everything else.

For so long, our relationship had existed in the shadows. We kept things secret, and that was because of me not wanting to potentially ruin what we had. At work, he was my boss. And after hours, he was the best lover I’d ever had. Things were perfectly separate, compartmentalized. But as time passed, I fell in love with Lucian.

And now, here he was offering me exactly what I secretly wanted, which I hadn’t allowed myself to even fully think about until recently.

He was offering me everything.

With his hand now on my knee, Lucian gave it a squeeze and slid it up until it disappeared under his sweater I wore, teasing the crease where my leg met my pussy.

“You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me, Sophia, and I’m too fucking possessive of you to let you go. So even if you say no to this , I’m still going to own your body. I’m still going to fuck you whenever I see fit, and I’m going to make it known no one else is allowed to touch what’s mine whether you openly claim me or not.”

That should have identified as nothing but red flags. But hell, this girl loved a little darkness with her romance.

“Okay,” I whispered, smiling. “I want it all too… with you. Out in the open.”

He growled in that feral animal way of his. “That’s my good girl.”

Yes. Yes, I was.