Page 91 of Brutal Reign

I gasp, forcing myself to pull back. “I know, I know. We should stop.”

“We should,” she agrees, but her hands are still in my hair, and her gaze drops to my mouth.

I press one more soft kiss to her lips, then step back, giving us both space to breathe.

When we emerge from our hiding spot, Kin is still exploring the other side of the room with Dr. Popov, leaving Hope and me to ourselves for a little while longer.

Her lips are pink and slightly swollen, and when my arm brushes against hers, she shivers. But there’s also something else I notice. A certain heaviness to her eyelids. She looks tired.

“Are you sleeping okay?” I ask, tilting my head to the side.

She seems to think about her answer before she replies. “I am, but I have this condit?—”

Before she can finish, Kin bursts between us like a tiny tornado, grabbing both our hands. “Mama, you and Pavel have to see the Stegosaurus! Its brain is like a peanut.”

“The size of a walnut,” the professor corrects with a laugh. “Still very small. And still amazing that the species survived for millions of years.”

I glance at Hope. She was about to tell me something—something I sense was important. “What were you saying?” I ask as Kin tugs us toward the next display.

She shakes her head. “Let’s pick this up later.”

I nod, but I can’t help noticing the vulnerability in her expression, especially when she watches me with Kin. There’s a weight in her gaze I don’t understand, like she’s seeing something beautiful and tragic at the same time, something that breaks her heart even as it makes her smile.

CHAPTER

THIRTY-THREE

HOPE

Two hours later,we’re back in the car, heading to the compound. Kin is asleep in the backseat, clutching a plastic dinosaur from the museum gift shop. The silence between Pavel and me is comfortable, the kind that settles in without effort.

It’s been a good day. The kind of day that makes me question what I really want.

I close my eyes and replay the afternoon. Pavel’s genuine reaction seeing Kin’s joy, the way he pulled me behind that fossil display and kissed me. I kissed him back without hesitation because, well, because I wanted to.

I steal a glance at Pavel while he drives. One hand grips the steering wheel, the other rests on my thigh, his thumb tracing absent patterns through my jeans. His sleeves are pushed up, revealing tattooed forearms. Maybe it’s because I know how good his hands feel on my body, or maybe it’s the casual confidence in his posture that makes a low pulse beat between my legs.

Everything is moving so fast and so slow at the same time.

I’d convinced myself I could keep my distance, focus on my escape plan, and ignore how much I desperately want him. Then he did something nice for Kin, and I’m losing my head all over again.

Pavel catches me staring and glances over, a slow, easy smile spreading across his face. “Something on your mind?”

My skin flushes, but I don’t look away. “Maybe. But it’s not something you can help me with right now.”

He laughs, the heat in his eyes telling me he knows exactly what I’m thinking about. “We’ll see about that later, angel moy.”

The promise in his voice sends a shiver of anticipation through me.

He checks on Kin in the rearview mirror, his thumb continuing the slow circles on my thigh, driving me slowly mad.

“Kin’s happy here,” he says after a moment. “Admit it.”

“Maybe,” I say, unwilling to give him any more than that.

He smiles, still looking at me. “You’re both happy.”

I turn toward the window, trying to hide how much his words affect me. Because he’s right, and that’s the problem. Every day I spend here makes the thought of what comes next harder.