Total pages in book: 148
Estimated words: 147734 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 739(@200wpm)___ 591(@250wpm)___ 492(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 147734 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 739(@200wpm)___ 591(@250wpm)___ 492(@300wpm)
His bandaged hand slides down, across the muscles of his chest, pausing on the tattoo, then continuing to his abs. He fingers the waistband of his shorts. “But I can also be down here if you prefer.”
“Very on brand,” I say in a seemingly bored voice, even as I struggle to keep my attention on his face. “You always think with your dick?”
“If you’re around, hell yeah.”
My lips part, but I purse them. He probably says that to a hundred others on a daily basis.
Like that blond guy from earlier.
Yulian seems to be the type who flirts for sport.
He only opens his mouth to flirt or yap nonstop, it seems.
“Besides.” He leans over so that his face is close to mine. “You came here for me, so I can’t let you leave without blessing you with my attention.”
I look down my nose at him, my hand flexing at my side, because I refuse to step back. That would mean he has the upper hand, and that will never happen.
Yulian is only ever meant to be fucking beneath me.
“You’re delusional,” I speak in the same bored tone.
“And you’re in denial, Mishka.” He sniffs me like a feral dog, inhaling audibly. “Admit it, you couldn’t stop thinking about me after I gave you a handjob. How would you rate it out of ten? Actually, no need for a rating, just tell me who does it better, me or Danika?”
“Of course it’s Danika,” I say without emotion, lying through my teeth, mostly because I can feel his breath on my skin. His lips are so close, my mouth’s watering, my heart hammers, and obscene images rush into my head.
Images I’ve tried and failed to eradicate from my consciousness.
His hand clamps the back of my neck, dragging me forward until our foreheads crash, his voice dropping low. “If you only said that to piss me off, it’s working.”
“Don’t ask questions you don’t want honest answers to.” I plant a hand on his chest and try to shove him away, but he pulls me even closer, his breath lacing with mine.
I’m breathing him with every inhale, and it’s making me lightheaded.
A drug.
He’s a goddamn drug I can’t wait to inject into my starving veins.
“You’re anything but honest, Mishka. We both know I can make you experience things you would never dream of. Not with Danika, not with anyone else. I’m your best option.”
“More like the worst.”
“But you haven’t seen what’s up my sleeve. I’ll take you to the moon and back.”
“Just like you took a thousand others, I presume.”
He bites the corner of his lip. “Hey, is that jealousy?”
This time, I shove myself away so hard, I stumble and nearly lose my footing. “I couldn’t care less what you do with others.”
“You know what I think?” He swings his leg off the bike and stalks toward me, and I move to the edge of the road. “I think you clearly do. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have flown here twice now just because you think I’ll seduce Nikolai.”
“I’m here for my friends.”
“How can you lie with a straight face? Teach me!” He cuts the distance in a heartbeat, caging me against the tall guardrail framing a cliff that overlooks the crashing waves below. “But seriously, you didn’t come for your friends. You wouldn’t have been in disguise if you had. Or run away for the dozenth time when I saw you. Would it kill you to admit you’re here for me?”
Yes, it would.
But I don’t say that because his question sounds quiet, almost wounded, and I don’t like that tone. Not from Yulian, who’s usually so confident, it grates on my nerves.
I keep my mouth shut, not knowing what to say.
Or do.
A fire burns me with every inhale of his masculine scent. It’s intoxicating—this feeling of closeness and the knowledge that if I reach out, I can touch him, feel his muscles up close.
Just one more time.
“Mishka…” he breathes out in a shaky breath. “Let me in… I promise to make you feel good.”
He reaches a hand out, but I slap it away.
“Don’t touch me,” I growl, glaring at him.
He flexes and unflexes his hand at his side. “Why? Because you know if I start touching you, you’ll want more?”
“I want nothing from you.”
“Then why do you keep crawling back to me?”
My hand shoots forward of its own accord, and I wrap it around his throat. “Because you had the audacity to sleep with my girlfriend, and I will make you pay.”
He grabs my own throat, squeezing with the same strength I squeeze his. “You should thank me for saving you from a cheater, don’t you think? Besides, you murdered my girl Zver in cold blood, so we called it even, but you still came back. Like a fucking junkie. You can’t get me out of your head no matter how hard you try. I’m already flowing in your bloodstream.”