Chapter 39

POV

The moment my feet touched solid ground, I shoved against his chest.

“Let me go.” My voice came out breathless, laced with frustration and lingering terror.

He didn’t budge. Instead, his grip tightened around my waist, his smirk deepening as his gaze roamed my face, taking in my flushed cheeks and wide eyes.

“Running again?” he mused, tilting his head slightly. “You should know by now, sweetheart, that you can’t outrun me.”

I clenched my jaw. “Watch me.”

I twisted, trying to break free, but he was like a damn wall—unmovable, unyielding.

The sound of nails clicking against the wooden floor sent a fresh wave of panic crashing over me.

I froze.

That dog.

It was still here.

I could hear its heavy breathing, feel its presence creeping closer.

A whimper slipped past my lips before I could stop it.

He noticed.

His smirk vanished, replaced by something else. His fingers flexed against my waist, and for a brief moment, he didn’t feel like the arrogant bastard who thrived on teasing me.

He felt… safe.

Another bark rang out, and damn, it sounded closer this time.

Instinct took over before my pride could catch up.

With a strangled yelp, I flung myself at Kelvin.

He barely had time to react before my arms locked around his neck, my legs wrapping around his waist in sheer desperation.

His grip adjusted immediately, catching me with ease.

For a beat, there was silence.

I felt the slow rise and fall of his chest, the heat of his body pressing against mine.

Then, an explosion of laughter.

Deep, rich, utterly amused laughter.

I stiffened.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” His voice was dripping with humor.

“Shut up,” I muttered, my face burning as I buried it against his shoulder.

Kelvin chuckled, his hand sliding down to grip my thigh, securing me in place. “So, let me get this straight. You’d rather throw yourself at me than face a harmless dog?”

I tensed, lifting my head just enough to glare at him. “It’s not harmless,” I hissed. “It was chasing me.”

Kelvin arched a brow. “You mean Shadow?”

I blinked. “Shadow?”

As if responding to his name, the dog let out a soft huff. I turned my head slowly, peeking down, my heart still hammering.

The beast was sitting now, its massive frame relaxed, tail thumping against the floor.

Kelvin shifted his hold on me, his fingers grazing against the bare skin of my thigh. I sucked in a sharp breath, my body betraying me again.

“You can let go now,” he murmured, his smirk creeping back.

I scowled. “I hate you.”

His lips twitched. “That’s not what your body is saying.”

I gasped and smacked his shoulder. Hard.

Kelvin only laughed again, his grip loosening enough for me to scramble down. My feet barely touched the ground before I shoved him, this time with enough force to make him take a step back.

“Asshole,” I muttered, my pulse still erratic.

“Terrified kitten,” he shot back, amusement flickering in his dark eyes.

I bristled, opening my mouth to snap at him, but a sudden wetness against my hand made me freeze.

I glanced down.

Shadow had nudged his nose against my palm.

My breath hitched.

He wasn’t attacking me.

He was…

I swallowed, my throat tight.

Kelvin watched me carefully, his gaze unreadable again.

“He’s not going to hurt you, as long as you're not gonna try to kill me.” His voice was softer this time. “He was just excited.”

I hesitated, my fingers hovering just above Shadow’s head. My entire body was on edge, my instincts screaming at me to pull away. But the damn dog just sat there, watching me with those deep brown eyes.

I let out the breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. My hand slowly smoothed over his head, my fingers sinking into the warmth of his thick coat. It was… soft. Unexpectedly so.

Kelvin’s voice broke the silence. “Huh.”

I didn’t like the way he said it.

I glanced up at him, narrowing my eyes. “What?”

His lips curled, but this time, it wasn’t his usual smirk. It was something else, something thoughtful, almost intrigued. “Shadow doesn’t like women.”

I stilled.

My gaze darted to the dog, who was now leaning into my touch like some overgrown lapdog.

Slowly, I turned back to Kelvin.

“So, you lied earlier?” I deadpanned.

His grin widened. “Not exactly.”

I scoffed. “Not exactly?”

He lifted a shoulder in a lazy shrug. “He doesn’t like most women. But he seems to like you.”

I clenched my jaw. “That’s not the point. You made it seem like I was overreacting, but the truth is, your dog actually could’ve attacked me?”

Kelvin chuckled, infuriatingly unbothered. “Relax, sweetheart. If he wanted to attack you, he would have.”

I gaped at him. “That is not comforting!”

His laughter only deepened.

I shoved at his chest again, but it was like trying to move a damn mountain.

Shadow chose that moment to press his nose against my palm again, nuzzling it softly. My heart lurched, confusion tangling with my leftover fear.

I’d spent my whole life fearing dogs, avoiding them at all costs. And now here I was, petting one.

Not just any one. Kelvin’s.

I didn’t know how to feel about that.

Kelvin tilted his head, watching me closely. “You really are full of surprises, aren’t you?”

I scowled, snatching my hand away. “Shut up.”

He laughed again, and I hated how warm it made my stomach feel.

Stupid, arrogant bastard.

I turned on my heel, marching toward the room without another word. My pulse was still erratic, and my skin tingled from the ridiculous encounter. The last thing I needed was to give Kelvin the satisfaction of seeing how much he’d rattled me.

Shadow let out a soft huff as I stepped inside.

I exhaled sharply and made my way to the bed, yanking back the covers with more force than necessary.

I was still buzzing with leftover frustration, my mind replaying everything…his teasing, the way he caught me, the heat of his touch.

Ugh.

I grabbed a pillow and shoved it into the center of the bed.

Then another.

And another.

A solid, undeniable barrier between us.

There.

Satisfied, I crawled into my side of the bed, pulling the covers up to my chin.

A few moments later, the sound of footsteps echoed from the doorway.

I didn’t need to look to know who it was.

His presence filled the space like it always did, uninvited, suffocating, and completely impossible to ignore.

I clenched my jaw, pretending to be asleep.

The mattress dipped slightly, a telltale sign that he’d joined me.

Silence stretched between us, thick with unspoken words and unresolved tension.

Then, I heard it—his low chuckle.

I cracked one eye open, just in time to see him eyeing my masterpiece of pillows with blatant amusement.

“Really?” His voice was laced with laughter. “You think this is going to stop me?”

I scowled. “Try it, and I’ll kill you in your sleep.”

Kelvin smirked, lying back against the pillows. “Sweet dreams, sweetheart.”