Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 78587 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 393(@200wpm)___ 314(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78587 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 393(@200wpm)___ 314(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
“Then, it got complicated.”
“That’s not an answer.”
I knew this wasn’t easy for him. Sergei wasn’t one to open up easily, but eventually he said, “Because once Viktor knows something, he acts on it, and he does it without thinking it through. I wasn’t having that. Not with you.”
I was about to push him once more, but he cut me off by adding, “Trust me, Lina. I’m not good at sharing.”
“Sharing?” I couldn’t help but smile. “So, it’s true. You really are keeping me prisoner.”
“If that’s what it takes.”
I laid my head back down on the pillow as I giggled, “You gotta do what you gotta do.”
“Exactly.”
When the movie ended, neither of us moved. We just waited for the next movie to start. It was some old western that I had zero interest in, and it wasn’t long before I dozed off.
I had no idea how long I’d been sleeping when I felt myself being lifted off the sofa. Startled, I opened my eyes and found that I was safe and secure in his arms.
I slipped my arm around his neck and rested my head on his shoulder as he carried me into my bedroom. I let out a contented sigh. I couldn’t help myself. I loved being this close to him, and when he lowered me down onto the bed, I couldn’t seem to let him go. I wanted him to stay with me, to kiss me like he had before. He started to stand, but I kept my arms around his neck, holding him tight as I whispered, “Sergei.”
His eyes locked on mine with a heated look that sent a chill down my spine. Sergei leaned forward, and I thought he was about to kiss me, but he stopped just inches above my lips. “You need to know I can’t keep playing cat and mouse with you. If I kiss you right now, I won’t be able to stop.”
“But I don’t want you to stop.”
“You’re not getting what I’m saying here, Lina. I want you too much. I’m not sure I can keep control.” He took a step back as he said, “I want to touch you, taste you… Hell, I want to bury myself deep inside you. And once I have you, I’m going to want to have you again and again.”
His words washed over me like a wave of heated desire, coursing through my veins with a burning need that nearly took my breath away. Every nerve in my body tingled, making it impossible to think. As I lay there staring up at him, breathless and aching for his touch, I finally managed to respond, “I want you, too, Sergei.”
“You need to be sure,” he warned. “I’m not a good man. I may have saved your life, but I’ve taken plenty of others. You can’t imagine the things I’ve done. As much as I’m not proud of it, I’d do it all again to be here with you.” He stood up and looked down at me with a fierce expression as he continued, “I’m broken, Lina. I’m not sure if I’ll ever truly be right again. So, listen to me when I say you need to think this through. Because once we start, there’ll be no turning back.”
With that, he turned and walked out of the room, leaving his sultry words echoing over and over in my mind. They haunted me as I pulled the covers over me and curled into bed. When I closed my eyes, I could almost feel the heat of his breath prickling against my skin and the rush I felt when his eyes dropped down to my mouth.
I’d never longed for a man’s touch like I did his, and it had me feeling completely flustered and desperately wishing he would finish what he started. Sadly, that didn’t happen. When the storm of hunger and need started to fade, I found myself wondering if it was simply lust that I was feeling. It would be totally understandable. Sergei is an extremely attractive man, but deep down, I knew it was more than that.
I’d known it all along.
I also knew that he was wrong about not being a good man. He had a dark past, but it didn’t define him. He still had a good heart that was filled with compassion and warmth. I’d seen it when he was with Moya, when he took me shopping, and when he gave me the sketchbook. And I’d felt it every time he was near.
He might’ve had a fierce exterior, but from the moment I showed up at the casino, he’d shown me nothing but kindness. I felt safe with him, which only made me want to be with him even more. Having no idea what I was doing, I eased out of bed and quietly started down the hall, being careful not to trip over the stupid table again.