Chapter 36
"You mean it?" she asked, her voice soft but filled with excitement.
"Yes, princess. I mean every word," he replied, his gaze steady.
Natasha hesitated for a moment, then decided to take the leap. "Alright, my first request... Can you come with me to visit my mom?" She had always wanted to ask him but she thought he wouldn't be willing, but now that he said she could ask for anything... things had changed.
Drogen raised an eyebrow in surprise, but a smile quickly spread across his face. "That's all? Of course. Why not?"
Her eyes lit up with happiness, and before she could stop herself, she threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly. "Thank you! You have no idea how happy this will make her."
Drogen chuckled, the warmth of her excitement contagious. "We can go now if you want. But shouldn't we take something for her on the way?"
"You don't have to. She won't mind," Natasha said, though her heart swelled at his thoughtfulness.
"I have to, It's common courtesy," he replied, a teasing grin on his face.
She smirked, pulling away to look at his face. "Oh, so you know about courtesy?" She teased
His grin widened as he suddenly flipped her over, pinning her beneath him on the couch. His hand rested on her waist while he leaned in, their faces just inches apart. "I only forget about courtesy when it comes to you."
Her cheeks turned a deep shade of red, and she felt her heart race. His words were a mix of playfulness and raw intensity. For a moment, she thought about closing the gap between them and kissing him, but her excitement to visit her mom won over.
"I—I need to get ready," she stammered, gently pushing him off her. She scrambled to her feet, her face flushed and her lips still slightly swollen from their earlier intense kisses.
Drogen leaned back, watching her retreat with amusement. "Don't take too long, princess," he called after her.
Natasha quickly shut the door behind her, leaning against it as she tried to calm her racing heart. This man was dangerous—in more ways than one. She sighed, brushing her hair back. She was falling for him even more, and hard. Maybe it was foolish, but she wanted to cherish every moment with him, as much as she feared heartbreak, she wanted to savor this feeling of being loved. As long as the blood pact still took effect, he would love her too.
She chose a flowing blue dress with a side slit that revealed just enough leg to feel confident but not overly daring. Matching heels and her straightened hair cascading down her shoulders completed the look. As a final touch, she spritzed her favorite perfume before stepping out of her room.
"Drogen?" she called, expecting him to be waiting in the living room.
"I'm right here," he whispered into her ear from behind, his arms wrapping around her waist.
She flinched in surprise, not expecting him to suddenly appear, but her pulse quickened as his warm breath tickled her skin. His scent—clean, masculine, and undeniably his—made her stomach flutter.
"You're beautiful," he murmured, his lips grazing the edge of her neck as he held her close.
Her cheeks burned, and her body reacted before her mind could stop it. She felt the hard press of his arousal against her ass, and her breathing hitched. No. Not now.
"Drogen," she whispered, trying to sound firm but failing miserably. "Let go."
"If we didn't have somewhere to be," he said, his voice husky with desire, "you have no idea what I'd do to you right now."
Before he could tempt her further, she wiggled free from his grasp, her face flushed. "We're leaving now," she said quickly, avoiding his gaze as she grabbed her bag.
Drogen chuckled, clearly enjoying her flustered state. He held her hand, and in a blink, they were standing in his garage.
"Your car?" she asked, noticing he had picked a sleek, black luxury sports car. He especially chose the most expensive ones from his collection.
"Only the best," he said, smirking as he opened the door for her.
She slid in, looking around at the extravagant interior. "Trying to impress someone, I see"
"Your mom likes rich men, doesn't she?" he replied with a grin as he slid into the driver's seat.
Natasha laughed. "You don't even know her, and you're already showing off."
"Can't let her think her daughter is dating just any man," he said, his tone smug as he started the engine.
Their first stop was at the mall, and trust Drogen to buy extremely expensive designer products, he went overboard. Clothes, bags, shoes, perfumes—he bought everything in sight.
"Drogen, stop! This isn't a shopping spree!" Natasha exclaimed, practically dragging him away from a jewelry counter.
"It's for your mom," he said innocently, holding up an expensive-looking purse.
"She doesn't need designer gifts. A simple bouquet would've been fine!"
"Are you saying I shouldn't go all out?" he teased, his expression completely unrepentant.
By the time they left, mall staff had to help load their purchases into his car. Natasha gave him an exasperated look as they drove away.
"You're way too much, you know that?" she muttered.
"I just want to make a good impression," he said, his voice softer this time.
She glanced at him, surprised to see a flicker of nervousness in his expression. "Wait… Are you nervous?"
"Nervous? Me?" he scoffed, though his grip on the steering wheel tightened slightly. "Not a chance."
"Sure you're not," Natasha teased, leaning back in her seat with a grin.
Drogen didn't reply, but the faint flush in his cheeks gave him away. Natasha couldn't help but feel a pang of affection. For all his confidence and power, he was still just a man trying to win over someone important to her.
And that thought made her heart swell even more.