Once a Doormat Now Untouchable (Caleb and Sydney) novel Chapter 174

For the past two days, Sydney had been phoning Alan each morning and asking about Eliana. The recovery was going well. It had been a scare, but nothing serious.

She had just closed the refrigerator door when the doorbell rang again. Thinking Agatha had forgotten something, Sydney hurried to answer.

The moment the door cracked, Yoyo squeezed in and pressed insistently against her legs. Holding the dog in her arms, she glanced down the hall. It was empty. Across the way, Julian’s door remained firmly shut.

She rubbed Yoyo’s head. “Did he lock you out?”

“Woof, woof!”

After nuzzling her a few more times, Yoyo suddenly recalled something. It grabbed the hem of her skirt in its teeth and tugged her toward the hall.

She laughed helplessly. “Where do you want to take me?”

She hurried into her coat, snatched up her phone and bag, and followed.

Surprisingly, Yoyo did not wander. It went straight to Julian’s home. The dog sat squarely in front of the door, lifted its dark, gleaming eyes to her, then stared at the doorbell.

Yoyo was signaling her to press it.

Sydney lowered her gaze. “You can’t press it yourself?”

The dog seemed to understand. It jumped, straining, but its paws fell short of the bell.

Sydney froze, then realized that the one who had rung the bell at her own place earlier had not been Yoyo. She reached out and pressed the button.

A moment later, Julian opened the door with an indifferent expression. He rested one hand on the handle, his

stance casual.

“Forgot the code?” His voice was edged with frost.

“I’m not as close to you as Ms. Lindstrom.” The words slipped out before she could stop them.

His brow arched. He leaned down suddenly, circled her waist with his long arm, hauled her inside, and snapped

the door shut.

Julian pressed her against the wall, his hand firm at her waist, and lifted her onto her toes effortlessly. His voice dropped low. “You were angry last night because Charlotte has the code to my place?”

Sydney’s face flamed at how precisely he had cut to the truth. Forced so close, she dodged his burning stare. “I just think we aren’t that close.”

He bent lower, and their breaths tangled, “We lived under the same roof for nine years, and that isn’t close?”

The air was thick with something sharp and heavy.

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“Then tell me, what counts as close?” he asked.

The question caught her. When she looked up, her eyes locked with his dark, fathomless eyes. Their faces were so near that his breath fanned across her cheek, his cedar scent wrapping tight around her.

She opened her mouth, only for him to cover it with his.

Sydney’s body went rigid, while her eyes flew wide. She almost forgot to breathe, staring at his long, dense lashes. Her heartbeat roared in her ears. She could not tell which was hers and which was his.

Seconds later, he pulled back, his nose brushing hers.

“This close enough?” His voice was husky.

She trembled. “I suppose…”

Julian smirked. “Suppose?”

The next instant, his kiss struck like a storm–fierce, urgent, and unrefined. It carried the raw hunger of a man who had endured too long and could no longer restrain himself.

One hand pinned her to him, the other cradled the back of her head, leaving her no room to pull away.

For Sydney, the sensation was completely foreign. She was trapped in his grip, her breath ragged, her body going slack under the intensity.

Then the doorbell shattered the moment, followed by voices drifting in from outside. Caleb was among them. They had come to visit Julian’s new home, and she was inside.

A jolt shot through her, and her already unsteady legs nearly gave way.

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rung, intent on deepening the kiss.

Sydney shoved at his chest just enough to steal a breath. “Someone’s-”

His eyes darkened with desire. His hand slid upward on her waist, claiming her lips again.

“Ignore them.” His voice was husky and achingly seductive.

The bell rang again, louder this time. Impatient fists rapped on the door, and muffled voices followed.

“What’s going on? Did Jules forget we were coming?”

“No way.”

That was Caleb’s voice.

Panic shot through Sydney. Her gaze flicked to Julian. “It’s Caleb. They’re here-”

“So what?” He kissed her again, a flash of cold cruelty crossing his face. Tilting her chin, he pressed, “Afraid he’ll find out you’re cheating on your husband?”

“It’s not that-”

Humiliation stung sharply. Caleb was outside, ringing the bell, yet she was in her brother’s arms.

But Julian saw only fear of exposure. He stepped closer and enveloped her completely in his frame, his laugh sharp and merciless. “Tell me. Whose kisses are better, mine or his?”

She was dumbfounded. “That’s… What kind of question is that? I just feel-”

The sound of keys tapping on the keypad cut her off. Someone outside was entering the code, the numbers clicking quickly, almost to the last digit.

Sydney tried to bolt, but Julian caught her and forced her to meet his

gaze.

“Answer me,” he demanded sharply.

Her cheeks burned. Her heart pounded against her ribs. She bit down hard, then blurted, “You. Yours. You’re the best.”

She didn’t add that she had never kissed Caleb, that Julian had stolen her first kiss.

Apparently satisfied, he smirked. He released her, turned smoothly, and went to open the door.

Sydney bolted into the bathroom and locked the door behind her. She pressed her back to the cool wall and breathed hard as she tried to calm her racing pulse.

Julian opened the door. His gaze swept over the men outside, his tone casual. “Why so early?”

Bruce grinned. “We just wanted to meet your girlfriend early.”

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Two nights ago, Julian had dropped a bomb in their group chat, hinting he finally had a girlfriend. They had come early, eager to catch a glimpse.

Bruce carried bags inside, then spun to gape at Julian. “Jules, your mouth…”

The others followed his gaze. A bold smear of lipstick stained Julian’s lips, a vivid trace of what had just happened.

Raymond raised a brow, flicking Julian a look. “No wonder you said we were early. She’s really here, isn’t she?”

Caleb didn’t blink. He had suspected the last time he saw Julian waiting downstairs like a man guarding something precious. With Julian’s looks, power, and ruthless persistence, no woman could resist him for long. His years without relationships had been by choice, not inability.

Still, Caleb’s curiosity lingered. What kind of woman could hold his attention?

He smiled faintly. “The same one you were waiting for last time?”

“Yeah.” Julian inclined his head and ignored the others.

Only then did he seem to notice, brushing his lips with his thumb. The smear came away red. He flicked his tongue over it and savored the taste.

Caleb understood immediately. Julian was serious.

“Better start planning a wedding banquet, then,” Caleb teased.

“Not so fast.” Julian shoved one hand into his pocket and tossed cold beers to each of them.

Bruce cracked open a can, gulped, and smirked. “Why not? Unless… what, Jules? You’ve gone and hooked up with a married woman?”

The bathroom door creaked open. Sydney stepped out, and those words froze her mind.