Plutonian

Chapter 66

I open my eyes and see Stela staring at Lucian with her mouth agape. She stays rooted in place, her feet fixed to the floor even after his threat. Lucian frowns at her but she doesn't budge, she just keeps looking at him with a starry eyed expression. 

"So beautiful," She murmurs, looking dazed and he scoffs at her. He grabs my arm and walks away, dragging me along with him. 

"Lucian, I'm at work," I reiterate. I try to wiggle out of his grasp but it is to no avail, his grip is too strong. 

"Your shift is over." It isn't a question, more like a statement. 

"My boss-," I say, once we are outside but he interrupts me. 

"Your boss will not piss off the Trinity," He says and then he nods at one of the glider attendants who rushes to retrieve his vehicle. 

"You know who my boss is?" 

"It doesn't matter who your boss is. No one on this planet would defy me over such a trivial matter." His glider arrives and the Plutonian attendant jumps out and casts a cautious smile at Lucian. He releases my hand and gets in the driver seat and after a long pause I get in as well. 

He pulls out of the driveway and drives along the busy streets of the city while I sit in cautious silence. I cast a glance at him and then finally ask the question on my mind. 

"What made you come over to Onyx tonight?" 

"I wanted to visit my girlfriend at work. Is there anything wrong with that?" He asks me in a clipped tone, making me wonder if he is angry with me. 

"Girlfriend?" Oddly enough that is the first thing I wonder about. 

Lucian looks at me and his gaze softens slightly. "It's a term they use on Earth. I thought you would like it." 

"It's nice," I give him a small smile. "It's definitely better than paramour or mistress."

He grins at my response and then he takes my hand in his and squeezes it. "I've been busy these past few months. We've barely spent any time together aside from sleeping."

His hand is warm in mine and even though I am worried about whatever he has been up to, the smile on his face makes my heart melt. Stela is right, he is breathtakingly handsome especially when he smiles. 

"I saw you with your friends. Looks like you are having a fun time at work," Lucian turns his attention back to the road while he maneuvers the glider with one hand. "Must have been having quite the party back there since seven people came out of the back with only three carrying the meat."

My hand stiffens slightly under his hold and I nearly have a heart attack because I am certain he felt it. 

"Yeah, one of the guys created this new mixture of alcohol and they wanted us to try it. We couldn't do it outside since we're all supposed to be working," I reply after a short pause and wait in silent tension as I anticipate his reaction. 

"Playing truant? Aria, you surprise me every day." 

His gaze is fixed on the road ahead but my heart is a frenzied mess in my chest. Why did that sound like he was talking about something else?

"We don't do it often," I quickly say and I notice his grip tightens slightly. My hand throbs under his hold and I stare up at him in shock. He looks down at our intertwined hands and quickly loosens his grip and I slide my hand out of his. 

"You don't have to explain to me. I'm not the boss," He says.

I nod my head and stare out my window while I rub my hand silently.