“You are staying in my territory. How will I show my face in Russia if something wrong happens to you here?”
I nod and get up from the couch. “Where am I staying?”
“Anywhere you want,” he says, standing up as well. “My bedroom is upstairs, if you want to sleep there.”
For a moment, I think I’m having verbal hallucinations. That I’m hearing some kind of nonsense no one could say for no reason. But the smile on his face tells me I’m perfectly fine. Not hallucinating, at least.
“Wait a minute, Matleon. What’s with this behavior of yours? You’ve been staring at me all evening, and now you’re asking me to sleep in your room.”
His smile widens. “I’m not asking, Angel. I’m just offering, in case you’re interested.”
My brain stops processing for a second after hearingAngelfrom his mouth. My frown tightens so hard I feel pain between my brows.
“I’m not interested,” I say through clenched teeth.
He’s making fun of me. He’s making fun of my feelingsagain. Old wounds tear open in an instant. I turn and rush toward the door of his penthouse, the same one I entered through, my steps frantic.
I can’t let him see how much it’sstillaffecting me
“Where do you think you’re going?” he asks, following me.
“I’m going back to the university,” I say without turning around, blinking rapidly to keep the pathetic tears trapped inside my eyes.
I open the door. He closes it again.
“You will stay here.”
“I don’t want to,” I tell him.
He stares at my face, his expression serious, then suddenly extends his hand. Caught off guard by his abrupt movement, I step back and trip on my heel. Before I can fall, he catches me, holding me tightly against him.
My heart starts racing without warning. I try to calm it, steady myself, then push against his chest to break free. But he doesn’t let me go.
I look up at his face. He’s so tall that even with my heels on, I barely reach his neck. “Let me go.”
“No.”
I push harder. “Don’t mess with me, Matleon.”
“I’m not messing, Angel. I don’t want to let you go. Can’t I just hold you for a few minutes?” he asks, a smirk playing on his lips.
“Who do you think you are to even think you could hold me?” I keep pushing him with all my strength, but this man is a mountain, impossible to move.
Suddenly, he lifts me up, my feet dangling in the air. One of his arms wraps around my waist, the other slides under my thighs. He starts walking back inside.
I hit his shoulder, shouting now. “Put me down, Matleon, or I swear I’ll hit you hard.”
He grins, looking at me. “I’d love to see how hard you could hit me.”
He is so damn close, his breath hitting my face, his black eyes shining right in front of mine, pulling me in. There’s barely an inch of distance between our faces; even if I move accidentally, I’ll kiss his lips. My body welcomes the thought with a shiver. I think the drug is still in my system.
He shifts my legs to the side, holding me in such an uncomfortable position that my waist feels like it’s about to snap. Only then do I notice we’re ascending the stairs.
He enters a room, puts me down, then closes the door behind him.
“What are you doing?” I ask. My voice sounds foreign again. God knows when this drug will leave my body completely.
He comes closer with a smirk on his face. “What do you think?”
