“Tell me,” I say calmly, “how many men tried to take you home from The Foundry?”
She blushes. “N—none.”
“That’s not true.” My tone is flat and angry, but when she flinches, I don’t feel bad. “I want the truth from you, Alyona.”
“Only…a few,” she breathes shakily. “I never…they weren’t anyone…”
“Good.”
That gets her. Her eyes snap back to mine, curiosity flaring. “Why?”
I allow myself to take one step closer. Just one.
“Because if anyone else touched you before this night, I would send Nika out and have him slit their throats.”
Her breath catches hard at that. It’s a small, betraying sound, and I see confusion ripple through her expression. It’s desire and defiance tangling together in a way that makes my restraint feel razor-thin. She licks her lips while her eyes dart around the room.
“You don’t have to worry about anything like that.”
Reaching out, Ialmosttouch two fingers to her chin, but she raises her face instinctively, eyes meeting mine. There’s something about her words that makes my brows knit.
“What does that mean?”
Aly’s full lips purse, keeping a secret in. Everything in me wanted to press a thumb to the seam of her lips and force her to open her mouth. I want her to tell me everything.
Instead, I stand tall and stare down at her with the same look that has made men piss themselves in back alleys or under piers.
“What does that mean?”
Her eyes drop as she murmurs something. The words are too quiet, and I lower myself, knees hitting the floorboards softly.
“Repeat yourself.”
With her cheeks flushing red, Aly obeys.Good,a small voice in my head hisses in happiness,she’s pliant. She’s mine.
“I’m a virgin,” she whispers.
Heat flares through my chest and groin, and my cock jumps to attention. I take a long, slow breath through my nose.
Untouched.
Rocking back on my heels, I size her up, trying to decide where to start. Aly is trembling slightly, clutching her robe tightly to her chest.
“Undo it.”
She doesn’t move. Ican’tdo it for her. I can’t yank off the tie and expose her to the suddenly stifling air, but my jaw clenches and she notices.
“You’re not touching me,” she says, almost like she’s reminding herself.
“No,” I agree. “You’re touching yourself.”
The silence that follows is heavy and electric.
She shakes her head once. “You can’t?—”
“I can,” I say calmly. “And you will.”
She looks at me like she wants to argue. But something else holds her in place, something dangerous, curious, and very alive. Alyona’s hands loosen around her midriff and fumble at the robe’s tie.
