“Does it hurt?”
“No, it’s okay. It was cold. It surprised me.”
I squeezed more cream onto my finger but warmed it between my index finger and thumb before applying it to her neck this time. Once I was done with her neck, I lifted the sleeve of her shirt and applied it to the bruises up and down her arms. I hated seeing any marks on her milky whi*te skin, but at least I felt like I could help make them better.
I was finishing up with the smaller bruises around her wrists as she leaned back and uncrossed her legs, dangling one leg on either side of me. My breath hitched and I hoped she didn’t notice. I kept my gaze on what I was doing, but I could feel her looking at me intently. Once I was done, I took both of her hands in mine and kissed the back of each one.
In a very quiet, almost whisper, I heard her say,
“thank you.”
I looked up to see she had tears threatening to fall. The tears making the, colors in her eyes dance in the brighter light of the kitchen. I reached up and held the side of her face, concerned I had hurt her in some way. “No, why the tears?
Did I hurt you?”
She chuckled. “No, the opposite, really. You could say I’m not used to people taking care of me. It’s a nice change.”
I felt that tightness in my chest return. Like a tear in my heart to hear that she had been mistreated in any way. Not knowing her past or what to say to make it better, I was at a loss. I just looked at her, still mesmerized by the dancing colors in her eyes. Without really thinking, I put my hand on the back of her head and pulled her toward me. I slowly leaned closer, watching her face to make sure she was okay with it. I felt her hand grasp my shirt and timidly pull me toward her. My lips touched hers. I felt her tense up, but then immediately relax, as she returned the kiss and pressed her lips to mine. Her legs moved closer to my body. I put my hands on either side of her face, gently holding her face while I deepened the kiss. She responded by parting her lips, allowing me access. It took all the self-control I had not to just devour her right then and there. She wrapped her arms around my neck, and I moved my hands down her body to her hips, scooting her closer to me. She squealed against my lips as she felt me pull her closer and instinctively wrapped her legs around my torso. I groaned as I deepened the kiss even more, tasting every inch of her mouth with my tongue. After a few moments, she pulled back slightly, looking into my eyes and over my face. She brought her hands to my face and lightly traced the features of my face. I closed my eyes, reveling in her light touch. her eyes
I felt her press her forehead to mine. I opened my eyes briefly. She was resting her forehead against mine, closed. I felt her inhale and a small sigh escaped her lips. I wrapped my arms around her waist and held her against me. I could feel the faint shaking in her legs and knew she was fighting demons. Lsqueezed tighter, trying to make her feel as safe as I could.
Sephie
I didn’t want to stop the kiss, but I knew I needed to stop the kiss. I pulled back from him and looked at him, expecting him to look angry that I had stopped. Instead, he almost looked like he was in a trance. I could feel his strong, but soft grip on my hips. I just scanned his entire face. He was so handsome. His blue eyes always so intense that I felt like he could see inside me. I lifted my hand to his face and traced my finger along the features of his face. His thick eyebrows, his long cyelashes, his cheekbones, his stubble that was as pleasant against my skin as I had originally thought, his plump lips that felt so soft against my own. I didn’t understand it, but I felt safe with this man. I shouldn’t. I knew I shouldn’t. He was the king of the criminal underground of the city. People feared him. Most people didn’t even know his name. Yet, he told me his name without hesitation. He sent his personal bodyguards to protect me from a man I thought was just a do*uchebag, but as it turns out, probably wants to kill me now. He made a special trip to my apartment to bring me arnica. He could easily have hundreds of women that would likely throw themselves at him, but he’s standing in my kitchen after putting cream on my bruises like I was going to break. Little does he know how insignificant these bruises are compared to what I’ve endured in the past.
I leaned my forehead against his, my thoughts still racing through my head. I inhaled and sighed. I felt him wrap his arms around me even tighter and pull me as close to him as possible. It was such a small gesture, but I found myself fighting back tears once more. I just wanted to stay like this for as long as possible.
A knock on the door meant that moment didn’t last nearly as long as I was hoping. Adrik kissed my forehead before walking to the door to see who it was. He unlocked it and opened it, stepping aside for Misha to enter the apartment.
“Ivan just got a call. New lead on Anthony. This one looks promising, so he wants to go check it out himself. It’s close by.”
Adrik was quiet for a moment, while he pondered this news. “You stay. Ivan can take Stephen and go check it out. Do not engage. I just want him to gather information right now.” “Yes, sir,” Misha said as he left the apartment, closing the door behind him. Adrik walked back over to me, placing himself in between my legs again.
I was biting my bottom lip, worried about what I had just heard Misha tell Adrik. He swiped his thumb over my bottom lip to get me to stop biting it. “Don’t worry. We will find him.”
I was trying to keep it together, but I was scared. I just nodded and stared at my fidgeting hands. My legs started to shake, despite my attempt at composure. He had his hands resting on my thighs, which meant he felt the shaking. Without a word, he scooped me from the counter and carried me to the couch. He laid me down on the couch but lifted my shoulders so he could sit, and I could use his lap as a pillow.
“You should be resting, not worrying,” he said as he settled into the couch beside me. I laid my head in his lap. He reached for my hand and intertwined my fingers with his. With his other hand, he rubbed my forehead gently. “We will find him.”
I tried to relax with his words. I closed my eyes and concentrated on his warm touch against my cool skin. His fingers moved into my hair. “Can I take your hair down?”
Without opening my eyes, I reached up and pulled the elastic out of my hair. My hair fell in a pile across his lap. I felt his hand return to my hair, running through the long strands. It wasn’t very long, and I had fallen asleep again.
I/3
That was a trick my mom used to use when I was a kid and didn’t want to go to sleep. She would always lay next to me and run her fingers through my hair to relax me. It was usually only a matter of minutes, and I would be sound asleep. No one had run their fingers through my hair in a very long time.
When I woke, I was in my bed. It took me a few minutes to remember that I had fallen asleep on the couch, with my head in Adrik’s lap, his hands running through my hair. I sighed at the memory and realized that I hadn’t had any nightmares this time.
Thank God. I’d rather not have to relive that ever again.
I stretched and went to the bathroom to splash some water on my face. I walked back to check my phone. Four messages, three from Max, one from Adrik. I opened Adrik’s first.
Sleep well, solnishko. I will see you again soon. -Adrik
I found myself hoping that soon came quickly. I smiled, remembering the feel of his lips on mine. I opened Max’s messages as I headed out to the kitchen to find out if Andrei and Viktor were back or if I was stil stuck with Misha and Grumpy McGee.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.