Page 18

Before I could reassure her, she turned to me, biting her lip. “Should I hug you, or something? In case he’s watching, I mean,” she rushed out, her cheeks flooding with color.
I could have told her that we swept the area, and it was unlikely Orlov was hanging around anywhere nearby, but I didn’t.
I found myself curious about how her touch would feel now after all this time, which was insane because I hated to be touched—by anyone, even my sister—and she was the last person I should encourage to do so.
“Yeah,” I said, backing her against the side of the house and holding her wrists on either side of her head, needing to control her movement.
Her dark brows puckered in confusion, her eyes sparkling with apprehension and intrigue. “What…what are you doing?” she asked breathlessly.
I leaned in, putting my mouth close to her ear. “Kissing you.”
My teeth latched onto the lobe of her ear, biting softly, then using my tongue to lessen the sting. I pulled back slightly and noted her response to me. Her expression slackened with growing passion, her flushed cheeks, her chest rising and falling as her excitement increased.
I was annoyed to realize that this is what I’d wanted every time I’d stared at that goddamned picture. Her body bending to mine, under my control, allowing me to take what I wanted.
My mouth slowly dropped onto hers, my tongue tracking the inside of her mouth, sweeping inward. The vibration of her low moan hummed against my chest and it had me pressing more closely against her until the front of her body was glued to mine. My teeth latched onto her ripe lower lip, pulling lightly, before diving back into her mouth.
Emmy moved her wrists in an attempt to break free, but I knew she wasn’t resisting, she was reaching for me out of instinct. She wanted her arms free to pull me closer, to touch me.
But I didn’t allow anyone that privilege. I stayed in control. Not only because I enjoyed it, but because I needed it.
As she moaned softly into my mouth, her body squirmed in an attempt to get closer. Her movements had me pinning her hips with my own, and I was only peripherally aware that this was the most direct contact I'd had with a woman in years.
Because nothing had ever been as satisfying as holding Emmy in place, giving her sweet mouth hot kisses and stinging bites as her soft body rocked against me. She fit against me like a missing puzzle piece.
That was the thought that jarred me out of the hot abyss I was falling into.
What the fuck was I doing?
I tore my mouth away and briefly stared at her pale face as it glowed in the moonlight. My eyes were pulled to her swollen, ravaged mouth and I felt my dick fighting against the denim of my jeans. Fuck, she was sexy.
Her eyes fluttered open and her expression of serenity slid to one of confusion and self-consciousness. “Why did you stop?”
I stepped away from her as if she were made of lava. “That was for Orlov’s benefit.”
I turned and stomped to my car. She stood there for a long moment before slowly making her way inside. I stared at the closed front door while I clenched the steering wheel of my car, emotions running through my body like rip tides.
I knew I had to keep my cool with her. I could never let her see how much she affected me, how she made me do wildly uncharacteristic things.
If she knew, I’d be powerless.
Chapter 5
Emmy
My mom and I moved the last of my things into my dorm room and dropped our tired bodies onto my bed to rest for a moment.
I wiped away drops of sweat, cursing my location on the second floor. Because it was moving day, the elevators were always full, so we mostly lugged my stuff up the set of stairs that were thankfully right across from my door. At least I’d dressed appropriately in short shorts and a tank top. My long hair had long been thrown up in a ponytail.
“I swear, it didn’t seem like this much when I was packing. Sorry, Mom,” I said ruefully.
My mom laughed. “It’s okay, honey, I went through this with Hannah. It was the same thing. Although, I’m not going to lie, it was easier with Nikolai helping us.”
“Yeah, no kidding. Why didn’t I ask someone to help us?”
My mom frowned. “Like who?”
I sighed. I had been thinking wistfully of Ivan, but I knew he would be a baffling addition considering my mom didn’t know that he was protecting me.