Alina lets out a faint moan that I almost miss, but the sound hits me in my soul. She’s determined to make me lose control even more than I already have.
I need to turn the tables, to make her let go, to give in to me.
I drag my teeth along her bottom lip while squeezing her throat tighter to earn a whimper.
“I-I told you…we couldn’t…we can’t do this again,” Alina whispers. I almost groan when her nails dig into my wrist.
“I never agreed to those terms,” I say before surging back into the kiss, my tongue breaking past the seam of her lips, swallowing her gasp. “The saint will forgive you again,printsessa,” I assure her since she’s still hesitating.
Alina finally lifts her other hand to rest on the back of my neck, and her tongue teases mine. She tightens her thighs around my waist, caging me in.
Desire thrums through me, intensifying by the second. It’s just a kiss, but I can’t remember the last time when my heart raced this quickly or when I kissed someone for this long. Just kissing is too intimate. Too close.
I want it, but it’s too much.
Yet not enough.
I break the kiss, but I don’t step away from her. My hands lower to rest on her hips as we gaze at each other, quietly catching our breaths. I know that her mind must be as loud as mine right now.
I’m afraid that she’s right. I think I may need Dominik for a guaranteed win because I’m failing in this war. I can’t see the enemies’ weak spots like my brother can, and I can’t predict their next moves. It’s a hard truth to face.
When it comes to wartime strategy, I’m not my brother. And that may cost me everything.
I may very well lose this war on my own.
Alina’s face softens a little as her eyes search mine, curiosity flickering within hers. She could’ve said what she did more harshly, but she was honest and direct with me. She doesn’t spare my feelings like others do.
I think she knows that it’ll take a lot more than a few harsh truths for me to be really pissed at her, and that just shows how attached I’ve gotten to her.
She isn’t just leverage anymore. She’s my liability, and I protect what’s mine.
If our enemies find out that she has anything to do with either me or Dominik, they’ll make her life hell. My cage will feel like paradise compared to what they might do to her, and the thought of that makes my stomach lurch.
I can’t let that happen.
I’m going to have to start making some tough decisions soon.
The clock is ticking.
Alina’s fingertips reach up, grazing my jaw.
Just that little touch pulls me out of the dark place in my mind, and my eyes automatically sink down to her tempting lips. Who knows when I’ll have the chance to kiss her again?
I lean forward again, but she puts her hand on my shoulder and pushes back against me enough to make me pause.
“You’re wrong.”
Confusion is not something I often feel. “About what?”
The sides of her mouth turn up so slightly that I barely notice. “About Dom. Despite what’s happened, he doesn’t want his brother to get himself killed. You don’t think that would destroy him?”
My expression hardens as I prepare to deflect but stop myself. All I can do is gaze at her, seeing the hope in her eyes. She so badly wants us to come together for this, and I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t miss Dominik’s help running things.
But what if she’s wrong?
What if I’ve pushed Dominik past the point of no return, and he’d rather take Alina and run away than stay and fight by my side? Or worse, slice my throat first before taking over asPakhan?
Could I really blame him if he did either of those things?
