Chapter 56

Alistair’s POV

I leaned back against the couch cushions, my eyes fixed on her as she rose to her feet. I reached out, gently tugging her hand and drawing her close. “You are my special pet,” I murmured, my voice low and filled with possessive affection. She hesitated, as though she might pull away, but before she could, I guided her to sit right in my lap.

Her body framed by my arms, she perched there awkwardly for a moment, and I could feel her small intake of breath as I settled her more comfortably. “You are my pet,” I repeated, my tone softer this time, almost tender, “and you will always be my special—and only—pet.” My lips hovered close to her ear; when I spoke, the warmth of my breath brushed against the sensitive skin of her neck. Our torsos pressed together so snugly that I could feel the faint heat radiating through the thin fabric of her dress.

I let my fingers drift upward, brushing against the side of her neck, easing a few loose strands of her