Chosen by the Beast Alpha

Chapter 119: Chapter 119

Lena’s POV

When the car stopped downstairs at her building, Dominic told Daniel to take his suitcase back to the manor. Then he got out and followed Lena straight into the apartment building.

In the parking garage, she tried more than once to shake his hand off. Not once did his fingers loosen.

There were other people in the elevator, so she couldn’t make a scene. She shot him a glare. He just slowly, deliberately, squeezed her hand.

The couple from the fourth floor both turned to look at them. Lena dug her nails deep into his palm.

"Ow." He let out the sound on purpose, loud enough that everyone in the elevator turned their heads.

She clenched her teeth, her face burning hotter by the second. He didn’t even blink.

The doors opened on her floor. She yanked her hand free, and this time he finally let go.

"Tomorrow is a workday," she said, jamming the key into the lock. "We are officially ending this contract."

She pushed the door open. Before she could say another word, Dominic walked right past her and into her apartment like he owned the place.

Yeah. No way she was getting rid of him tonight.

As he headed for the bathroom, he pulled his shirt off over his head. "Tomorrow."

The shirt landed on her couch. The bathroom door shut. Water started running.

Then the door opened again. He leaned out, bare from the waist up, steam curling behind him.

"Wanna join me?"

"You have seriously no shame."

"Bring me some clothes when I’m done." The door closed again.

She snatched his shirt off the couch and threw it onto the floor. Honestly, she wanted to stomp on it.

She went into her bedroom and shut the door.

Someone knocked. She ignored it.

"Are you seriously planning to leave me standing out here naked all night?"

His voice came through the wooden door, lazy and casual, totally at odds with what he was actually saying.

This was the same man who used to lecture Lena about restraint. And now? He had absolutely none.

The knocking stopped. There was no way Dominic would actually stroll around her apartment completely naked.

Then the front doorbell rang. Her phone lit up.

Anna.

"Are you not home?" Anna said. "I brought food. Open the door."

Lena shut her eyes for a second. Right. That. She’d texted Anna at the airport, and Anna had said she’d bring something over. Ever since the terminal, Dominic had been glued to her side, and everything else had gotten shoved clean out of her brain.

"Coming." She opened the bedroom door and stepped out.

Dominic was already at the front door.

A white bath towel hung low and loose around his waist. His hair was still wet, combed back, with droplets clinging to the dark strands. The overhead light cut sharp shadows along his jaw, making his face look even more dangerous than usual.

Lena had always known Dominic Voss was ridiculously good-looking. That was never up for debate. But right now, with water still glistening on his shoulders, his chest and abs drawn tight beneath damp skin, and that towel looking one second away from slipping past his hipbones, the line disappearing beneath the fabric hit way too hard. Her heart dropped straight into her stomach, and her pulse shot so fast it felt like it was about to leap out of her throat.

Any woman on earth would lose it at this sight. No joke.

His hand closed over the front doorknob.

"Don’t you dare open that door!" Her voice came out sharp, almost shrill.

Dominic lifted one eyebrow. "Your friend has been waiting outside for a while."

"Go into the bedroom." She pointed behind her. "Now."

He didn’t move an inch. "Making a guest wait this long is rude."

"Dominic." Her voice caught. "You cannot open the door looking like that."

"I told you to get me clothes. You didn’t." He glanced down at himself. "Also, this towel is yours."

Lena stared at the towel.

Her towel.

Wrapped around his waist.

"Lena, open the door!" Anna called from outside.

Heat rushed to Lena’s cheeks so fast it felt like her whole face was on fire. If Anna walked in and saw Dominic standing there with absolutely nothing on, she would never hear the end of it.

If he’d just put some clothes on, Lena honestly wouldn’t even care.

"Go inside," she whispered, keeping her voice low. "Please. If she sees you, I’m seriously done for."

He didn’t move. Not even a little.

"What do you even want?"

"Nothing." He watched her panic with that maddening calm, like he was having the time of his life.

"Just go in."

His eyes stayed on her face. The teasing look was still there, but it had softened around the edges. Then, finally, he turned and walked into the bedroom. The door clicked shut behind him.

Lena let out a long breath, pushed a hand through her hair, and pulled open the front door.

Anna was standing in the hallway with a paper bag in her hand. She stepped inside, glanced down at the man’s shoes by the door, then slowly looked around the apartment.

"Dominic’s here?"

"Yeah."

She stopped dead. "Uh... should I leave?"

"He’s asleep. It’s fine." The lie slipped out way too fast.

"That’s even worse." Anna took a step back. "I really don’t want to interrupt."

Lena’s stomach clenched hard. If Anna left, she’d be stuck alone with Dominic.

Dominic was in her bedroom right now, wrapped in her bath towel. Dominic, who used to stay cool no matter what she did, had been completely off the rails lately.

The thought made her fingers curl on instinct.

"You’re not interrupting anything." She grabbed Anna by the wrist and pulled her inside. "I’m starving."

Anna leaned closer and lowered her voice. "You don’t want to be alone with him?"

Lena shook her head.

Anna arched a brow, kicked off her shoes, and dropped onto the couch like she owned the place. Her eyes flicked to the tightly shut bedroom door, then back to Lena.

"So you two just went on a trip together? That’s it? Nothing happened?"

Lena shifted in her seat, her stomach turning hard.

"You’ve known each other for over a year," Anna said with a small laugh. "If something did happen, that’d be pretty normal. Did it change the deal you had before?"

Lena peeled open the takeout container and sat down across from her. "No."

"Was he bad?"

"Oh my God, Anna!"

Anna wagged a finger at her. "Wanting someone is basic human nature, okay? There’s nothing wrong with being into a person. You used to say that too. Since when did you get so weirdly proper about this?"

Lena shot a glance at the bedroom door and lowered her voice. "Keep it down. He’s in there."

"Okay, okay." Anna lifted both hands in surrender, then looked toward the bedroom again. "Should we at least give him something to eat?"

"No."

Anna stayed about twenty minutes. Lena could tell she was being considerate. The agreement was still in place, and Anna clearly didn’t want to linger too long.

"I should go," Anna said, getting to her feet. "I’ve got something this afternoon."

Lena swept the food containers aside on the table. "I’m coming with you."

Anna stared at her. "Going where?"

"Anywhere." Lena grabbed her bag and headed straight for the door.

Anna followed her out. After the door clicked shut and locked, she lowered her voice. "What are you so scared of, exactly? Is he seriously going to eat you alive?"

"I just don’t want to be alone with him." Lena pressed the elevator button.

Everything from that night came rushing back at once, and her fingers trembled just a little.

“Do you actually have something to do this afternoon?” Lena asked. “Because if you really had plans, you wouldn’t have had time to bring me food, and you definitely wouldn’t be sitting there chatting with me.”

Anna finally dropped the act. “Okay, fair point.”

She drove Lena to the mall. Even though it was a weekday, the place was still packed. People streamed through the corridors nonstop, coffee scented the air, and music drifted down from the upper floor in soft waves.

“Your phone has been blowing up this whole time,” Anna said as they passed a row of winter coats.

Lena knew exactly who it was. She didn’t answer.

The corner of Anna’s mouth lifted in a faint, knowing smirk. “He’s obviously into you, and you’re treating him like he’s invisible.”

“He’s not into me.” Lena kept walking without slowing down. “He just likes my body. That’s not the same thing. Not even close.”

Anna didn’t press. They wandered around with no real destination, and she filled the silence by roasting a coworker’s terrible blind date and tossing out random Pack gossip like it was free entertainment.

For half an hour, Lena managed to forget Dominic, the deal, all of it.

Then, out of nowhere, Anna grabbed her arm and yanked her behind a marble pillar.

“Oh my God.” She pointed toward the escalator in front of them. “Look.”

Lena turned her head. Her heart dropped hard.

Luke was coming down the escalator, and Eliza was right beside him, so close their arms were nearly touching.

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