Page 32 of Candy Cane Chains

"Is that..." Ivy's voice trails off as she steps closer to the glass.

"Don't." I move behind her, one arm wrapping around her waist. The possessive surge hits hard and fast - an electric current under my skin. My fingers spread across her stomach, pulling her back against my chest. Away from his prying eyes.

"He's been driving by every few hours." Her voice carries a tremor she's trying to hide. "I noticed earlier but didn't want to say anything."

The Mercedes crawls past again, engine purring. Travis sits too straight behind the wheel, his profile rigid with tension even from this distance. Hunting. Searching.

"Let me handle this." My voice comes out low, dangerous. I guide Ivy deeper into the room, positioning myself between her and the window. Her small frame fits perfectly against me, and I breathe in the vanilla scent of her hair. It helps calm the rage that is stirring beneath my skin.

"Julian-"

"He's not getting anywhere near you." My hand slides up to rest against her sternum, feeling her rapid heartbeat through her little silky night set. "You're mine to protect now."

The Mercedes makes another pass, slower this time. Third circuit in under five minutes. My fingers flex against Ivy's skin as cold rage settles in my chest. Travis Porter is about to learn exactly why people hire me to solve their problems.

Under my touch, Ivy seems to shake, and I hate the idea of anyone causing her fear or pain but me. I want everything she has, and that fucker is messing with my plans.

Wanting to reorient her mind, to put her focus back on me. I release Ivy and stride to my briefcase, retrieving a slim black box I'd prepared earlier. The handcrafted wooden advent calendar inside gleams with dark promise - twenty-four tiny doors, each concealing a note written in my precise script.

"Early Christmas gift." I set it on the coffee table, watching her face. "Open the first door."

Ivy's delicate fingers trace the ornate "1" carved into the wood. The door creaks open and she pulls out the folded paper, unfolding it with care.

Her lips part as she reads aloud: "Day one: I will bind those perfect wrists above your head and taste every inch of you until you beg." A shiver runs through her body.

"Keep going." I lean back, studying her reaction. "Door two." When she looks between me and the advent calendar, I smirk. "You can read them, but you won't get the treats until that day."

With an excited glint in her eye, she opens the next compartment, her breathing quickening. "I will claim you against the window, let the whole city see who you belong to." Her cheeks flush dark as she reaches for the third door without prompting.

"I'll control everything - even your breath." She swallows hard, fingers trembling as they move to the fourth door. "I will take you on my desk, making you watch how good you take me."

"There's one for each day." I move closer, trailing my finger along the remaining doors. "Each one darker than the last. By Christmas Eve, you'll know exactly how thoroughly you're mine."

Ivy's breath catches as she opens door five. "Your screams will echo off these walls when I-" She stops reading, pressing her thighs together.

"Too much?" I grasp her chin, tilting her face up.

"No." Her voice comes out husky. "Not enough."

I trace my thumb across her bottom lip. "Then keep reading. Twenty-four days of promises. And I always keep my promises, sweet girl."

Her nipples peak and her breaths come faster as she finishes reading through them all. By the end of it, she seems so aroused just by the idea of it, and I'm waiting patiently to enact my first promise.

I retrieve the string of white Christmas lights from beside the tree, letting them uncoil in my hands and plugging them up next to Ivy. The soft glow illuminates my intentions as I turn to where Ivy stands, tucking away the last of the paper in the advent calendar.

"Arms up." My voice brooks no argument.

She raises her hands slowly, the movement making her silky top ride up to reveal a sliver of skin. I circle behind her, wrapping the lights around her wrists with practiced precision. Each loop cinches tighter, the wire warm against her flesh. I weave it down her body, lighting her skin up with the bulbs.

"Good girl." I test the bonds, ensuring they're secure but not cutting off circulation. The lights cast a gentle shimmer across her skin, turning her into living art. "How does that feel?"

"Tight." Her breath hitches as I trail my fingers down her bound arms.

"It's supposed to be." I guide her backward until her legs hit the edge of the dining table. "Sit."

She leans back, arms now restrained, and I lift her back onto the wood. I settle her so that I can easily slip between her beautiful thighs, loving the way the lights make her look practically angelic.

"Now for day one's promise." I grasp her chin, tilting her face up to mine. Her pupils are blown wide, turning those amber eyes nearly black. "Remember what it said?"

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