“For what?” he asked just as quietly, his mouth moving against my finger. I slid the pad down his chin.
“It was wrong to touch you while you were sleeping,” I said. Despite my apology, I couldn’t force myself to pull my hand away. He was still holding my wrist but wasn’t guiding my hand at all.
More like following it.
And his thumb was doing delicious things to the inside of my wrist.
My hand made its way to his throat and he let out a rush of air. “For future reference,” he said with a slight smile. “You can touch me anytime you want.”
His words surprised me.
“Why?” I blurted.
Vaughn’s eyes held mine for the longest time. “Don’t you know, Aleks?” he asked.
The intensity with the way he said my name made me shudder. “Because it feels good?” I asked dumbly, because I honestly didn’t have any other answer.
Something flashed in his gaze and then he smiled again. “It does,” he said. “But that’s not why.”
I managed not to pull back when his left hand came up to settle on the back of my neck. He used his thumb to tip my chin up just a bit so I was forced to look at him. I didn’t realize I’d dropped my eyes at some point.
The smile faded and he just stared at me for the longest time. I forgot what we were even talking about until he said, “Because I would give you anything, Aleks.” His fingers tightened on the back of my neck just the tiniest bit. “Anything,” he repeated, his voice growing thick.
Something inside of me went off like a bomb and my alreadytingling body grew hot and heavy. And then his mouth was moving toward mine. Fear and anticipation warred as I waited for him to kiss me.
But when his mouth bypassed mine and settled next to my ear, I felt a keen and completely unexpected pang of disappointment.
“Go to sleep, Aleks. I’m going to fix everything tomorrow, I promise.”
He turned my head just a tiny bit and then his lips settled on my pulse point, which had to be hammering since my heart was racing like nobody’s business. I gasped when his warm mouth pressed the gentlest of kisses against my skin.
“Aleks,” he breathed as he lifted his mouth to my ear. “Please… would you... would you call me James… just this one time?”
James.
His first name.
I’d never heard anyone call him that. What did it mean that he wanted me to? And why just this once?
I wanted to ask him those things but found myself pressing my forehead against his instead. “James,” I said in the barest of whispers.
He sighed – actually sighed – and then kissed the shell of my ear. But somehow just saying his name the one time wasn’t enough for me.
“I trust you, James.”
He let out a little gasp of air, then he was drawing me into his arms. His hand came up to cradle the back of my head. I loved how his arms were so big that they just completely enveloped me.
“I won’t let you down, Aleks. I swear it.”
And with that, he shifted us until we were both lying flat on the bed. He pulled me against his side and even though I’d never once slept with another soul in a bed besides my parents and Dante, I’d never felt more comfortable. Vaughn’s fingers played with my hair, putting me to sleep within minutes. When I woke up, the clock showed that it was just after eight in the morning and both Vaughn, his gun and his computer were gone and just the utility knife was on the nightstand. But I knew in my gut he hadn’t left me. I quickly gotout of bed and made use of the bathroom. It took me a moment to figure out that I was actually on the second floor of a two-story house, but I had no trouble confirming Vaughn was still indeed there.
Because I could hear his raised voice and the anger in it was clear as day.
As was that of the anger in the voice of whoever he was arguing with.
Chapter 9
Vaughn
