It’s the injury. Please tell me it’s the fucking injury, brain.
His arms curl around my front—just above my stitched side, carefully and deliberately avoiding it.
I suck in a sharp breath and jerk forward. I don’t mean it, but this closeness sends a rush of blood to my groin and my head, and I kind of blank out.
“You’re burning up,” he speaks so close to my ear, a shiver zaps down my spine, and the hairs on my arms stand on end.
I’m truly fucked, aren’t I?
“We only had that one shot of antibiotic, but I’ll give you more ibuprofen.”
I make an affirmative sound because, really, that’s the only sound I can make under the circumstances.
He moves and hands me two pills that I swallow with some water, then he’s back behind me in the same position.
His heartbeat knocks slow and steady against my spine, and I track it like a countdown, registering each thump as if my life depends on it.
Must be nice to be so calm. I think my own heart is sort of shoving itself against Vaughn’s palms like a slut.
Jesus Christ.
My fingers twitch. My breath catches. My whole body aches, but it’s not due to the wound.
No.
This is much more serious than a hole in my side.
I want himgone.
No. I want himcloser.
“Let’s continue the questions.” His voice drifts calmly in the silence, sounding so fucking close to my ear, my head, and my thumping chest. “Is it my turn?”
“Mmm,” I say, because fucking hell I can’t even think past the feel of his chest against my back and his hands on my pectoral muscles and his legs rubbing against mine, let alone some stupid questions.
“Why did you take a bullet for me, Yulian?”
I shrug. “Because.”
“That’s not a reason.”
I don’t have another to offer, and I seriously don’t even want to think about it at this moment, so I just remain silent.
“Since you didn’t answer that question, I’ll ask another one.”
“Whatever.
“What do you plan to be when you grow up?”
“Huh?”
“I’ll go first,” he says. “I want to inherit my dad’s position and continue his and Mom’s legacy. I want to give them back a fraction of what they’ve given me and make them proud of how I take our Bratva to the next level. I’ll be the strongest, most educated, and best strategizing genius our world has ever known. After Dad, of course.”
I gulp because the whole time he was talking, his chest was vibrating against my back, and I kind of need to stop myself from getting hard, because I’m so close to embarrassing myself.
“What about you?” he asks when I remain silent, looking straight down and not daring to even peek sideways.
I, Yulian Dimitriev, who fucks around for breakfast, is absolutely terrified of Vaughn seeing the look in my eyes right now.
