It’s starting to feel so real that I must be imagining it or have gone crazy. I took a clear stand on this being temporary, but day by day, it’s starting to feel anything but. Maybe waking up in his bed isn’t the best way to keep a clear head.
I take slow, steady breaths so as not to wake him and move just a little. And that's when I feel his hardness pressing against my ass.
My body reacts before my brain can catch up, and a rush of heat floods between my legs. I bite my lip to hold back a whimper. My body remembers his hands on me, his lips on my skin, how perfectly he fucked me just yesterday.
It was a mistake, and I’m already starting to want him again. I need to get out of this bed before I do something stupid like wake him up and climb on top of him.
As quietly as I can, I begin to untangle myself from him. Every time his breathing changes, I stop, then move again. I slide his leg off, move his arm, and slither to the edge of the bed on the other side without making a rustle, before finally turning around to see if he’s still deep in sleep.
The sight of him makes me stop.
In his sleep, Valentin looks like a gentle giant. His face is utterly relaxed, lost to some dreamless sleep, and his long, thick lashes curl up right beneath his eyes. My gaze sweeps across to the lock of black hair that’s fallen over his forehead, and before I can stop myself, I find myself leaning over the bed, wanting nothing more than to brush it back.
I freeze and pull back, just in time, my heart now twisting into itself in my chest. One feeling seeps into the next, until I find myself lost to how I feel and what I want.
Suddenly, being in his room feels too damn overwhelming. The need to flee is so strong that I leave my wet clothes from last night on his floor, and slip out of his room without even daring to look back.
***
Within an hour, I’m fully dressed and marching down to catch Valentin at breakfast. He’s still in yesterday’s clothes and barely looks awake as he sips his coffee.
“I was wondering where you went.” He breaks into a lazy grin, eyeing me from head to toe in a way that makes me feel wobbly.
“I…I need a bodyguard,” I start, jumping straight to the point. Seeing him, for some reason, gives me these jitters I don’t want to find the source of. Being around Valentin is growing increasingly confusing by the minute, and I’m not yet ready to examine just why. “I have a meeting with Jason.”
The truth is, Jason wrote to me last night, and I read the email this morning. He offered a few options for when we can meet, and I chose the earliest.
All I know is that I need to get out of this house, away from Valentin.
“I can spare Dmitri if you’ll let him tail you,” Valentin shrugs. “Just let me know when you’re in and out?”
The fact that he doesn’t fight me on this knocks something loose in my chest. I truly wasn’t expecting it to be this easy.
“Fine. Dmitri can tail me,” I give him a small smile.
“I’m glad that worked out,” Valentin nods.
***
Over the next several days, I throw myself into work. The meetings with Jason from TriCore go even better than expected.
“This new concept is exactly what we need,” Jason says during our second meeting, and slides the final and signedcontract across the table. “The team is already excited about implementing your strategy.”
I try not to bounce in my seat like a kid at Christmas. “I'm thrilled to hear that. I think the user engagement metrics are going to blow past your expectations.”
Dmitri’s always out there, at the entrance. He never comes into TriCore’s office because I’ve made it clear that it won’t fly down too well with me, but whenever we meet at a café, he chooses to find himself a table nearby. I don’t mind that, because to Jason, he could be anyone.
Besides, Dmitri and I’ve become friends…of some sort. I like to see that hulk of a man eat a cookie with his coffee. It’s kind of sweet.
By the fourth meeting, Jason and I have slipped into an easy rhythm. He’s sharp, picks up on my ideas right away, and pushes back when something doesn’t fit their brand. It feels good working with someone who actually gets what I bring, and in a way, he makes me better.
“You know,” Jason says as we wrap up the meeting, “my friend Alex over at SkyMark has been looking for someone with your talents. Would you mind if I passed along your information?”
I make sure not to let my mouth drop open. “Uh, sure,” I say, gathering my things, but stopping when I notice my hands are starting to shake from the excitement. “I’d really appreciate that, Jason.”
SkyMark is one of the fastest-growing tech startups in the aviation space, and I’m amazed at how my life is suddenly turning around. When a company like TriCore gives a recommendation, a company like SkyMark doesn’t think twice.
I can’t stop shaking from excitement, not even when I get home. Without thinking, I rush straight to Valentin’s office. I haven’t seen him in a couple of days, as work has taken up the major chunk of my time, but happiness like this deserves to be shared, and I realize I want him to be the one I celebrate with.
