“Mine,” he whispers.
“Yes.” I nod as he lines our gazes up and smooths the skirt of my dress down around my thighs again.
“Um, where’s the restroom. I need to?—”
He cuts off my words with a shake of his head. “No. I don’t want you cleaning me from you. I want you to feel me stick to your thighs for the rest of the day.”
I laugh, thinking he’s joking, but his jaw sets, and I see the fierceness.
He scoops up the bits of my panties from the floor and pockets them.
Wrapping his arm around my waist, he pulls me to him. “I meant what I said. If you try to run away I will lock you up.”
“I said I won’t leave, but I think you’re causing trouble for yourself that you don’t need. I won’t let Tommy out of my sight now, and if he’s with me, it puts a target on you. My uncle isn’t going to just let this go.”
“Your uncle can do whatever the fuck he wants. He’d be an idiot to get the police involved in any of this. And your cousin has broken the truce we put in place. We can wipe them all out and be justified. Even the old men back home wouldn’t get mad.”
“It seems odd, doesn’t it? They go through all that trouble to get us married, get the truce arranged, only for my cousin to break it within weeks?”
“I don’t pretend to understand the stupidity behind their actions.”
“Well, at least on that we agree.” I find my coat and slide my arms in the sleeves.
He watches me button up, his eyes warm. It’s different than any other look he’s given me so far.
Maybe there’s a chance we won’t spend the rest of our lives hating each other. Maybe things can be normal between us.
“I’ll have Mikhail drive you home. I have a few things to do here.”
“Of course.” I let him open the door for me. Mikhail is there waiting already for me.
“Straight home. No stops.” He tells him while pressing his hand to the small of my back. “Text me when you get home.”
“I will.” As he presses a kiss to my cheek, I add with a whisper, “Sir.”
He growls. “You’re going to be the death of me, woman. Go home and behave.”
I laugh, sliding my hands in my pockets, and follow Mikhail back down the corridor.
A tall brunette woman with ruby red lipstick and sparkling blue eyes passes us, and I can’t help but turn to watch her. She stops at Kaz’ office door and knocks. Only a second passes before the door opens.
Her smile lights the whole damn corridor when she sees him, and she steps inside.
The sound of his door shutting echoes in the hallway.
And in my heart.
Sienna’s laugh fills the car, light and joyful, the sort that makes you want to join in the fun. It’s unexpected, throwing me off guard.
Looking in the rearview mirror, I find Tommy grinning and moving his hands quickly while she continues to giggle. She’s quick in her responses to him with her signing. It must have taken her a lot of time and effort to get this at ease with it. And he’s so animated when he talks to her, his fingers flying in a rhythm I can’t follow.
They make it all look so easy. So innocently sweet—a family on a drive to school.
Tommy catches me watching them in the mirror and drops his hands to his lap. The carefree joy drains out of his face, leaving that quiet, wary look he gets whenever I’m near.
Sienna notices immediately. Her gaze moves to mine, and she frowns.
“He’s still afraid of me,” I say.
