That doesn’t help me remember how to breathe.
I stop in front of her, my eyes narrowing a degree. “What did you say?”
Alina cocks an eyebrow at me. “You need Dom, Gavriil. He can help you win this war.”
I almost scoff at her. The fucking nerve on her is something, but I can’t bring myself to punish her, not even for insinuating that I’m not doing enough, for saying that I’m not enough on my own, in front of my own men.
“You know I’m right,” Alina adds as if she hasn’t publicly emasculated me enough already. “You should push aside your pride and apologize. Ask Dom for his help. Things are getting bad. I can see it written all over your face.”
I don’t like that she can read me so easily. That’s a downside of letting her sit in on these meetings. She’s quietly analyzing me the whole damn time.
“I’ve been doing this for fifteen years. This isn’t my first war,” I state. “Everything will be back under my control soon.”
Alina gives me a pointed look. “Are you really going to let your pride get more people killed?”
If she were anyone else, I’d be pissed enough to see red. But her curious eyes and full lips let her get away with a lot. Too much. I let her say what she wants because I want to own her mouth in every way possible. I want to own her, more than I’ve ever wanted anything.
But she’s in love with my brother.
“Dominik would rather stab me in the back than help me,” I remind her, especially after the shower stunt I pulled with her.
Alina’s face softens as she shakes her head. “I don’t think so. I think you just need to admit that you were wrong, that you went too far. You know…apologize.”
I tilt my head at her as I step even closer, my body nearly grazing her knee. “For?”
“You know what,” she says pointedly. “Imprisoning him to start with. And um, then what we did.” Her eyes stray briefly, flickering to my mouth before darting away.
She can feel the pull that’s always lingering between us. Is it as difficult for her to resist as it is for me? I think so, whether she wants to admit it or not.
Alina hasn’t forgiven me. She sure as fuck doesn’t trust me. But for some reason, after everything I’ve done, she still wants me.
She likes knowing that she has this kind of power over me. Loves it even. So much so, I’m certain she craves more of it now. Everyone does once they get a little taste of it.
How far is she willing to go for more?
My fingertips brush her knee as my little remaining self-control crumbles away. Seeing the way her thighs press together threatens to literally bring me to my knees, and I don’t bow to anyone. I’m doing everything that I can to not rip open her tights and fuck her on my desk.
“Why would I apologize for something that I plan on doing again?” I ask her.
“Gavriil…” Alina breathes out as my hand slides farther up her thigh, coaxing her legs to uncross.
When they do, I step between them, our bodies gravitating closer and closer. I can see the glint of guilt in her eyes, and I know that she’s thinking about Dominik right now, even with me so close to kissing her again.
“I don’t need him,” I tell her as I take her chin between my fingers, keeping her wide green eyes on mine. “And neither do you.”
Her breath hitches as I lean down to capture her lips, her mouth slotting perfectly with mine. This feels even better now that I’m not a few too many drinks in. Her lips are pillowy soft, and she tastes like mint.
Alina doesn’t jerk away from me. She places her hand on my wrist, but she doesn’t pry my hand away from her face. She’s satisfying her desire to touch me as well, without going too far.
Without doing what shetrulywants.
When is she going to stop holding herself back from me? When am I?
My hand slides lower, my fingertips grazing the column of her neck before pausing. My fingers settle around her throat, possessive, controlled.
She’s mine right now.
Mine.
