"You asked." He picked up his fork again, went back to eating like he hadn't just turned my world upside down.
I stared at my sandwich, my appetite suddenly gone. Or maybe not gone, just redirected toward something I definitely shouldn't want.
"I don't know what you expect me to say," I said quietly.
"Nothing. I'm not asking for anything." He took a drink of water. "I'm just being honest."
"Well, stop it. Your honesty is confusing."
"How so?"
"Because I'm supposed to be annoyed with you. You're controlling and bossy and you won't give me space. But then you say things like that and I don't know how to feel."
His eyes darkened. "How do you feel?"
Like I want you to kiss me. Like I want to know what those hands would feel like on my skin. Like I'm losing my mind.
"Confused," I said instead. "And hungry. So let me eat in peace."
I took a bite of my sandwich, forcing myself to chew and swallow. Mikhail watched me for a moment longer, then went back to his own food.
We ate in silence. It should've been awkward, but it wasn't. It was almost comfortable, in a weird way. Like we'd done this a hundred times before.
"You're good at this," I said after a while.
"At what?"
"Making me feel safe." The admission surprised me, but it was true. Despite everything, despite the hovering and the bossiness, I did feel safe with Mikhail. "I haven't felt safe in a long time. Not since before the kidnapping. But when you're around, it's like I can breathe again."
Something shifted in his expression. Softened. "Good. That's all I want."
"Is it?"
The question hung between us. Mikhail's jaw tightened, and I saw the war happening behind his eyes. The struggle between what he wanted and what he thought he should say.
"No," he said finally. "It's not all I want. But it's all I'm going to ask for right now."
My stomach flipped. "And later?"
"Later, I'm going to ask for a lot more." His voice dropped, rough and low. "But you're not ready for that yet."
"How do you know what I'm ready for?"
"Because you're still healing. Still finding your feet. And I'm not going to push you before you're ready." He leaned back in his chair, eyes locked on mine. "But when you are ready, Shanice, I'm going to make my intentions very clear."
Heat flooded my body. I wanted to ask what those intentions were. Wanted to know exactly what he was thinking, what he wanted to do to me.
But part of me was afraid of the answer. Afraid of how much I wanted it too.
"Finish your lunch," Mikhail said, his voice gentler now. "You need the energy."
I picked up my fork with shaking hands. Took another bite of my salad. Tried to focus on anything except the man sitting across from me and the promises burning in his eyes.
Mikhail was dangerous. But God help me, I was starting to think I liked it.
We finished eating and headed back to the SUV. The drive home was quiet again, but charged with something I couldn't name. Every time I glanced at Mikhail, I found him already looking at me.
When we pulled up to the mansion, I grabbed my bag and reached for the door handle.
