Chapter Four
ONE.
Two.
Three.
Four.
And boom.
Lucius could not recall seeing anything more amusing than the look on his Tassina's face when the magnitude of what she had willingly signed up for finally started sinking in.
"Relax, Tassina."
Tassy could already feel herself starting to hyperventilate. What had she just agreed to?
"What you're feeling is simply a case of cold feet, and it's totally normal."
Normal? Saying 'yes' to spending Valentine's weekend with a stranger was normal? Only someone who wasn't normal would think that!
"I'm the man you've been lusting after for years," Lucius drawled. "I understand how nerve-wracking this must be for you."
Tassy could only sputter and choke. Wow . Just wow. Did his arrogance have no limits?
Lucius watched in silent amusement as Tassina's incredibly expressive face featured one emotion after another in rapid succession. Since coming back to the cabin, he had seen her display an impressive repertoire of feelings. Shock and horror, embarrassment and guilt, dismay and shame, and then more embarrassment, and—-
Not so fast, baby girl.
Lucius recognized the moment she intended to flee, but of course, it was merely wishful thinking on her part that she could ever escape him. She was his, and soon, she would know and appreciate this for herself.
But for now—-
He allowed her to think she had escaped his lap, waiting until he saw the relief on her face...before rising to his full height and taking hold of her hand.
Tassy was about to tug free when Lucius cupped her face and gently tucked loose locks of her hair behind her ears. "There's nothing for you to worry about." He lifted her hand and pressed his lips to her knuckles. "I'll handle everything. You only have to surrender yourself to me."
Oh no.
His words seemed to weave a spell around her, and her captivity was made complete the moment she lost herself in the coppery heat of his gaze. Tassy could no longer move even when he had already let go of her hand, and she could only tremble as the billionaire slowly ran his knuckles down her cheek.
"You will not regret belonging to me. I promise you."
His sweet words made Tassy feel like she was floating, and all she could do was watch in a daze as the billionaire started packing her things like an expertly trained PA. Before she knew it, they were already on their way out of the lounge, his hand was on the small of her back, and it was only when she listened to Lucius and a woman behind the check-in counter start conversing in Mandarin that reality intruded, and Tassy started to panic.
This was wrong!
This was crazy!
This was absolutely a surefire way of getting hurt even more!
But just when she had enough sense to try pulling away, Lucius suddenly looked down, and it was like falling back into a silken trap of forbidden promises.
Why did she so badly want to be free of him again?
She honestly had a hard time remembering, and all she could do was nod as the other woman asked for her I.D.
"Thank you, Ms. Bautista." The lady handed Tassy her ID back with a smile, asking, "May I know your relationship with Mr. Young?"
Tassy blinked, but the lady continued looking at her expectantly. "Um—-" Why did this even matter? But...she had never flown with Xin Hua Air before, so maybe this was just standard procedure on their part?
"Yes, Ms. Bautista?"
Surely... it was Lucius who had to answer that?
"I'm his..."
Tassy finally looked at the billionaire. Please answer her!
But Lucius only raised a brow in return. Why don't YOU answer her?
Tassy could only sputter. Seriously?
Lucius gestured for Tassy to look behind her, and her cheeks turned red when she saw that there were already other passengers in line behind them.
Oh, fine then.
If Lucius didn't want to help her out, he only had himself to blame for whatever she had to say. Tassy lifted her chin as she turned to the other woman. "I'm his girlfriend."
Lucius wrapped an arm around her waist. "I'm glad to hear that."
His purr had her feeling like she was missing something, and when she saw the woman behind the counter hiding a smile as she wished them a safe trip—-
Lucius had tricked her again!
"You—-"
"—-are the boyfriend, yes, you've made that quite clear."
Aargh.
"We should get moving," Lucius said smoothly as he urged her toward the boarding bridge.
Tassy had a hard time believing the billionaire went to all that trouble just to... what? Hear her call herself his girlfriend?
"I don't get you," she blurted out.
"I'm glad to hear that," Lucius answered without missing a beat, "since I find you just as unpredictable."
Tassy had to bite her lip hard. Was Lucius really talking about her still? She had always been the girl whose finances were strictly budgeted in spreadsheets, her schedule planned out for the next three months with a color-coded, three-alarm-per-event Google Calendar, and even the minutes she spent scrolling on social media was monitored and regulated by her Screen Time app.
She had always been more plotter than pantster, more cautious than ambitious. She had always been anything but predictable in other words, and that was why even Xylan himself had often complained—-
Oh.
Tassy's head started to spin.
Oh my goodness!
How could she have forgotten all about Xylan?
Not only was he her boyfriend of almost seven years, but it was only yesterday that he had dumped her in front of everyone!
How could she not have remembered any of those things...the moment she was in Lucius Young's company?
Lucius could sense his Tassina withdrawing from him for some reason, and he didn't like it at all. "What's wrong?" he asked abruptly.
"I..." Tassy had a hard time thinking. "I just, um, realized..."
It was my pride more than anything else that was hurt by the breakup?
I might have been lying to myself all these years?
I'm a shameless slut because of you?
"—-how you got that poor woman to play along," Tassy managed to say instead as a burst of inspiration came to her rescue. "I finally remember reading an article about you last year. You've been investing in airline companies like Xin Hua Air and trying to get other billionaires to fly commercial to reduce carbon emissions."
Lucius couldn't recall the last time anyone had him feeling out of his element. Would the surprises ever cease with his Tassina?
Tassy started feeling nervous about the billionaire's continued silence. "I didn't get it wrong, did I? I think I read it in some business journal—-"
"You remembered correctly."
Tassy was about to breathe a sigh of relief when she noticed the way Lucius was looking at her. "Is everything okay?"
"I was thinking I should be the one asking that," Lucius murmured. "Aren't you disappointed I'm not the kind of billionaire to own a private jet?"
Tassy could only laugh after realizing Lucius was just teasing her, again.
"I think I have something to ask of you as well," she threw back at him. "Will you be disappointed if I tell you I don't even own a car?"
"Don't you?"
"I don't," she admitted cheerfully. "You're not the only one with a heart for conservation efforts, Mr. Young. We all do our—-" Tassy was startled when the billionaire suddenly cupped her chin, and just when they had finally made it to the plane at that. "L-Lucius?"
Did he not notice how he had everyone around them staring?
Did he not—-
"Where have you been all my life?"
Ha!
Tassy refused to let herself take him seriously.
If he wanted to tease her like that, she...she could tease him right back.
Lucius' lips pressed together as Tassy suddenly fluttered her lashes at him. Whatever it was she had planned, he was sure it would be completely unexpected—-
"Oh, Mr. Young! You don't know what you're in for if you keep saying such things."
And he was right.
"So please, sir." Tassy had a hard time keeping herself from laughing as she played the role of an employee who was hopelessly infatuated with her billionaire boss. "If you don't want me falling in love—-"
Lucius' mouth suddenly covered hers.
Oh wow.
Tassy's eyes automatically closed as the rest of her words melted into his kiss while her body went up in flames in an instant.
Oh wow.
Never had a kiss felt this hot.
Or this good.
Never had a kiss felt so, so right... but just as her lips started to part, it was then she heard him whisper ever so mockingly—-
"I'm afraid it's too late, baby girl. Aren't you already halfway there?"