“Tell me what happened to you,” I asked quietly.
“I was sixteen when one of my brother’s rivals took me,” she started to tell me in a trembling voice. “They wanted to get to Caspian.”
I kept my expression neutral, not wanting to scare her back into silence, even though I already felt rage at where this story was going.
“They kept me in a warehouse for three days, just tied to a chair.” Her voice shook. “My brothers found me, thank god. But when the men realized they were coming, they…” She trailed off, her eyes glazing with the memory.
“They what?” I prompted gently, though part of me didn’t want to know. I just didn’t want to picture her like that, so young and terrified. No kid deserved to face such horror.
Whoever those bastards were, I wished I could find them and show them what it meant to truly regret something.
“They set the place on fire to cover their tracks,” she whispered. “And they left me there, still tied up. The smoke was everywhere. I couldn’t breathe, and I thought I was going to die.”
“Who the fuck were those guys?” I asked, the rage seeping through in my voice.
“I…I don’t know. But ever since then, I can’t stand smoke and fire. It takes me back to that warehouse and reminds me of the time I thought I was going to die alone.”
My hands tightened on her face, just softly. “You’re not alone now,” I whispered. “And I won’t let anyone hurt you like that again.”
Her eyes searched mine like she could see right through me. “Why do you care? I’m just leverage to you, right?”
The truth of her words stung, and I had no answer. I, myself, was confused as hell over how protective I was starting to feel about her.
“I don’t know,” I admitted, honestly. “But some things are just wrong and you don’t deserve to suffer…at the hands of anyone. No matter how much they hate your family.”
We were standing so close I could feel her breath on my face, and still smell the sweet wine on her lips. The small space seemed to shrink further, and I became hyperaware of how our chests crushed against one another’s.
My heart began to race, and her hands slid from my wrists to my chest, resting over my heart.
I felt my breath hitch in my throat as every second pounded in my chest, and my eyes stayed on hers. Then, I heard her let out a small whimper, her eyes falling to my lips.
She flicked back to mine, as though asking a question, before dropping to my lips again. Any logic, any reason, it all flew out of the window, and my body moved on its own as my face dipped to meet hers.
We met halfway, soft and hesitant at first, our lips brushing up against one another. I froze for a heartbeat, shocked by the electric jolt the kiss sent through my body.
Then, every instinct I’d been fighting around her took over. I pressed her against the wall and slid one hand into her hair, messing up that perfect ponytail.
She parted her lips and invited me deeper.
I groaned, and she made a small noise at the back of her throat, one that hit me hot in my blood. God, she was fire, and I was burning.
Her hands clutched at my shoulders, pulling me closer, her body arching into mine like she couldn’t get enough.
I couldn’t get enough either. I kissed her harder, deeper, one hand sliding down to grip her hip, fingers digging into the satin of her dress. She responded with equal hunger, her tongue teasing mine, her teeth nipping at my bottom lip.
For a moment, I forgot everything, including that she was a Lebedev and here to serve a purpose.
There was only Beatrice—beautiful, sassy, bright as hell Beatrice—and her soft curves pressed against me.
I wanted to rip off her clothes, run my hands down her body, and take her then and there against the wall.
But then, just as I thought about that, I thought about whether she wanted it, too.
I gasped and pulled back, a little too abruptly, for she reached for me again, but stopped when she saw whatever it was she saw in my eyes.
Beatrice had just had a panic attack because of some smoke, and here I was, taking advantage when she was at her weakest. A stab of guilt rammed through me, reminding me of the fire I had started in that club, all because I wanted to distract and kidnap her.
I’d used her fear to kidnap her, and now here I was, using that same fear to take something apart.
