As if reading my mind, Yulian steps towards me, pinning me gently against the kitchen counter.
He places his hands on either side of me, gripping the edge of the marble countertop.
“You won Ali’s heart very quickly, didn’t you,” he teases, his voice low.
“She’s lovely. Very sweet. And she won my heart just as quickly. She’s impossible not to love.”
The dimples on his cheek deepen as he cocks his head to the side and lifts one hand to brush his fingers slowly over my cheek. My heart races faster, my breath catching.
“And did you enjoy her stories about me? I don’t think I’ve seen you smile that much before. Did you enjoy laughing at my awkward years?”
I giggle and nod. “I can’t picture you as a little boy, innocent and clumsy. Making silly mistakes like that.” My eyes drift over the thick muscles of his neck, how they curve into his broad shoulders. His rugged jawline was scattered with stubble. Then my gaze drifts up to his eyes, framed by thick dark lashes and heavy brows. Fuck. He’s gorgeous. He’s more man than any man I’ve ever met. It’s true. I can’t ever picture him being anyone other than this gorgeous creature in front of me now.
“I’m certainly not innocent anymore,” he growls, his voice husky with lust. Yulian brushes his thumb over my lower lip, and I gasp softly.
He tilts my head back, lifting my lips towards his, and kisses me.
His mouth locks over mine, his lips hot and smooth as they embrace me. He threads his fingers up the back of my neck, into my hair, pushing harder against the kiss, pushing his tongue into my mouth, and sending wild waves of excitement rising through me.
I melt against him, unable to resist his taste, his smell, the heat from his body as it pours into me. He pulls me closer with urgency that sets me on fire. My body crumbles in his hands, and I realize I would let him do anything to me. Just like I did on that night we spent together. I was his. I belonged to him in that moment, just like I do now.
My heart stammers, stalling, tripping over itself as his lips claim mine.
You’re playing a dangerous game, Katerina. You don’t even know what this man wants from you. You have no ideawhat his plan is with you. Tonight could be for show. A fake game he’s put together to make you feel safe. Everything he’s done could be fake. He’s your enemy.
And it might not be. It might be real.
He might care for me.
Why else would he treat me so tenderly?
Inside, my thoughts are at war. My heart is beating irregularly, panicked, and confused. My body is melting with need, flooded with passion.
My head is screaming for me to take back control, to put an end to this.
Eventually, I can’t handle the noise in my head and the guilt in my heart, and I gently push against his chest, causing him to stop. His eyes are dark as he looks down at me. His cock is rock-hard against me.
“I…I….” I stammer, searching for words.
He lifts his hand and places his finger beneath my chin. “You look beautiful tonight, Kat. You always do. Do you want to help me get the brownies and ice cream together?”
“Sure, yes.” I breathe a sigh of relief that he changed the topic so smoothly, saving me from myself. But my eyes keep wandering to the massive bulge in his pants, and I bite my lip, wishing I could just let go and experience that kind of pleasure again.
I can’t, though. It can’t happen.
I’m a fish out of water around him, and I need to keep my wits about me.
Chapter 11 - Yulian
Flicking off the sander, the workshop falls quiet, and I let out a frustrated sigh. I could be getting a lot done today, but instead, I’m distracted and annoyed.
The monitor on the wall behind my workbench has a live feed of Katerina in her studio. She moves about elegantly, busy and happy.
She’s been spending a lot of time there, obviously, and I’m really happy for her. But it leaves me yearning for her and missing her. I hate being away from her.
Even though I can still watch her all day, it’s not the same as having her with me. Within reach. Where I can touch her and smell her.
And the kiss we shared the other night won’t stop haunting me. That glimmer of hope. The small indication that she wouldn’t push me away if I tried something more.
