Page 24 of Sins and Virtue

“Because…”

“Because?”

“Look at me.”

She shifted around in the bed, hitting the pillow, as her gaze fell from mine, slowly dipping to my lips and then elsewhere. There was a flame of desire embedded in her search, at least that’s what I thought when she clicked her tongue and flipped her hair over her shoulder. “Ridiculous.”

I blinked.

What?

Did she really not care? At all? Or was she bluffing?

Her disregard hurt my pride a bit.

Clearing my throat, I trod carefully. “Kotyonok?”

“Good night.”

Desperation grew like poison ivy infecting my skin as I kept my attention on her. “Alright. Alright, Blair, I promise to keep your vow of chastity. No touching or anything indecent.”

Silence challenged my proposal before she sassed back. “Liar.”

“I never lie.”That’s a huge statement.

She mocked a laugh, keeping her back turned to me. “You just lied about lying, aka breaking the third commandment.”

Right, that whole “Thou shalt not lie” business and whatnot.

“Let’s just call it a lie by technicality.”

“A lie is still a lie, no matter what you try to disguise it as.”

Tightness grew in my chest. “Blair, give me a break, please.”

“Fine,” she pushed through her teeth like she didn’t want to regret the decision. “Get on the bed.”

She didn’t have to tell me twice as I stood up and sat on the bed, accommodating myself. I couldn’t fit lying down completely; the bed was too small for my size, so I settled my back against the frame of the bed, sitting upright as I stretched my legs in front of me. The softness of the bed was a great contrast to the hard wooden floor.

Blair’s shoulders grew stiff, her breathing all labored as she fisted the edge of her blanket. My gaze was attached to her face; up close she was much smaller, her lashes were naturally curled, her long strawberry-smelling hair fell to my fingertips as I softly wrapped my fingers around it, craving the touch ever since the first night. Everything about her threw off my senses and weakened my defenses.

“Stop staring,” she tsked.

“Do you ever stop giving people orders?”

“No.”

“You should really fix that, kotyonok.”

Abruptly, she shifted again with her back carved against the mattress, my eyes glazed over her beauty. A shade of moonlight passed through the window and fell on her face, illuminating her dewy, rosy skin. Her nipples softly strained against her sheer white nightgown, and her glossy eyes that appeared she had been crying pierced me.

A soft brief twitch disrupted my sternum.

Her lips parted as she softly asked, “And how would you fix me?”

Fuck, as if she needed any “fixing.”

Tingles ran over my mouth, resisting the need to smash my lips against hers, but I refrained, knowing that wouldn’t help her in anything. Plus, she would kick me off the bed, but I liked being in her vicinity, so I sat there, running a hand over my chin like agood boy. “You don’t need any fixing. You’re perfect the way you are, Blair.”