Page 78 of Sins and Virtue

His dark ocean eyes softened. “You always have a choice, kotyonok.”

“Still—”

He deeply chuckled, his chest rising up and down. “If you’re questioning your choice, perhaps it’s because it isn’t the right choice.”

“I—” My mouth opened, then closed.

When did he become so logical? I hate that.

Clearing my throat as I try to explain, “I’d never second-guessed anything until—”

He lowered his gaze to my lips and back up to my eyes, my pulse livid beneath the skin of my nape. “Until?” His tongue lingered on thel.

Fuck, I really buried my grave with this one, so now it was my time to lie in it. “You. Alright.You.” I let out an exasperated breath, my nose wrinkling.

“Me? Am I that special then?”

I blew a puff of air, frustrated by his emotional whiplash. “I already answered your question. Answer one of mine. Where did you get these scars?”

He glanced down at himself, raising an impromptu brow, and said, “Which one? Pick?”

“Well, um…” Examining with a close eye each and every scar until my finger landed on the one that caught my eye the most— the largest scar that seemed to cut across his chest. “This one. I want to know why and who gave this one to you.” I looked up at him through my lashes.

A deep grumble stumbled from his chest; his shoulders became tight as he started to heave uncontrollably and heavily. A vulnerable expression robbed his expression of monotony as his gaze became drowned with untold tragedy.

There was something inexplicably wrong with him, and I don’t know if it was Dya or Kon trying to fight it, but it definitely wasn’t a safe space for him to ask. Pushing him too far would have inexplicable consequences, and if he weren’t ready to answer, I wouldn’t push it.

So I rose to my tippy-toes, bringing my face closer to his as the scent of strawberry soap lingered off his musk-scented skin. I lightly pressed my lips against his, barely considering it a kiss as he blinked, his hands fisted at his side as he raisedone, wrapping his fingers in my loose brown locks and fisting it. Pulling my head back so I’d look up at him.

He breathed heavily against my lips. “What did you do that for?” The gravity in his voice was deeply disturbing.

“You needed help, and I thought… well… I’d help you.”

“What are you doing to me, kotyonok?” He said so vulnerably softly.

Hell, I could ask him the same. The day he came into my life, he turned the world upside down; instead of it being black and white, now I questioned everything in shades of grey or, more specifically, midnight blue.

I can’t believe I allowed myself to get caught up in the moment.

Without a moment’s notice, he reverted to his old— unpredictable— pain-in-the-ass self.

“Do you want me that bad? I’m already naked. Let’s get to it then.”

I gasped.

The man was a social brute.

“Get dressed!” I pushed him with all my strength as he barely moved a quarter of an inch.

He wrapped his hand around my waist, burying his fingers in my skin, and pushed my body to his front. Flustering heat radiated from his skin as it burned me. He leaned his head down, his mouth lingering on my ear as he whispered hotly, “Help me get dressed then.”

My hands clawed against his. “In your dreams.”

His lips split into a devilish smile. “It appears I was already in yours. Do you want to make it a reality?”

This crazy bastard.

How was I supposed to get rid of him now?