Wrapped in His Arms (Julie and Lucian) novel Chapter 13

Julie stiffened and pretended not to hear Lucian.

Patricia stretched her hand out to give Julie a nudge. She even winked at Julie playfully as if hinting at her. "It's been years since you last met Lucian. Why don't you go over and have a chat with him? You could also help him out with cooking."

Julie knew very well what Patricia was thinking and could no longer feign ignorance. She bit the bullet and walked over to the kitchen.

"D-Do you need help with anything?" Julie stuttered a little. When she spoke, she did not dare to look Lucian in the eyes.

Lucian let out a deep chuckle and said nothing.

She looked up at him, and their eyes met. "What are you laughing at?"

Lucian shook his head. Then, he walked over until he was standing in front of her. The next moment, a cool minty scent lingered in her nostrils. She unwittingly took a step backward. 

He asked, "You're so scared of me, huh?"

She shook her head, feeling rather embarrassed. She was not afraid. It was just that she had not figured out how she was going to face Lucian.

Lucian stretched his arms out. "Please help me with my sleeves."

She complied, albeit with some constraint. She extended her hands and slowly helped Lucian roll his sleeves up.

Julie had grown taller, now reaching his chest. Lucian lowered his gaze and looked at her.

Her cheeks were flushed, and her curled eyelashes were thick and long. Her skin was fair, with the absence of any blemishes. With the overhead light casting down on them, he could see her peach fuzz clearly.

Lucian's deep eyes were glinting. His Adam's apple rolled up and down, as if he was trying hard to restrain himself.

"Done."

Finally, Julie spoke. Then, she took a step back.

Lucian seemed to have regained his composure. His lip curled up as he said, "Thank you."

She said softly, "No problem. Do you need help with anything?"

Lucian pointed at the tomatoes on the chopping board. "Could you help chop these up into cubes?"

She nodded. After she washed her hands in the sink, she picked the knife up and began chopping the tomatoes. Curious, she asked, "What are we making tonight?"

"Sirloin. Your favorite."

The hand Julie was using to hold the knife came to a halt as her vision became blurry. The next second, she felt a sharp pain on her fingertips. Julie yelped softly. 

"Don't move."

Lucian threw the spatula aside, walked over to Julie, grabbed her injured finger, and put it into his mouth. 

Julie suddenly felt a buzz from the soles of her feet going straight to the top of her head. Her face was flushed. "W-Wha…"

Julie tried to pull her hand back.

Lucian refused to release her finger from his mouth. With every breath he took, the hot air he released crawled from the back of her hand down her entire body. It felt like she was in a sea of fire. It was extremely hot.

"Does it hurt?" Lucian asked.

She shook her head.

When he saw that her finger was no longer bleeding, he took a bandage out and wrapped it around her finger.

Julie felt a little surprised. "Why do you carry this around with you?"

Lucian laughed. "There's a kid who's always getting injured, so I made it a habit to carry this around with me."

When Julie heard the word "kid", her expression froze.

Lucian had not only gotten married, but he was also a father.

The ripples that had originally surged in her heart disappeared in an instant.

She just muttered a response softly and pulled her hand back. "Thanks. Um, I don't think I can help you anymore. Sorry."

Lucian smirked. "That's fine. Just go have a chat with my grandma. The food will be ready soon."

As Lucian said this, he reached over, wanting to give her a pat on the head.

Julie subconsciously took a step back, avoiding his touch. She did not even bother to look at his face and just turned around to walk out of the kitchen. 

Lucian's hand froze in mid-air as he let out a bitter laugh.

He thought to himself, "It's a real challenge trying to make this kid happy."

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