“You wanted me to talk, right?”
He eyed me for a second, almost like he was trying to see where to go with this and how much to push me on it. Kraven was a lot more perceptive than I gave him credit for.
“I can’t worry about being honest with you and hurting your feelings. Can you understand that too?”
He nodded.
“Cat got your tongue?” I joked, trying to lighten the tension.
“More like Kitty does.”
I scoffed out a soft chuckle.
He reached for my hand. “I get it, alright? Truly, I do.”
“Do you?”
He crouched in front of me, close enough that I had to tilt my head to meet his eyes. “Stop thinking for a second.”
Now he was too close, and my breath caught.
“Just feel it,” he rasped, giving me goose bumps.
I shook my head, being candid again. “I don’t want to.”
“Yeah… I know.”
He lifted his hand. It was slow and deliberate, almost like he was giving me a chance to stop him.
I didn’t.
I should have…
His fingers hovered for half a second before lightly resting them on my stomach, and everything in me went still.
With nothing but determination in his tone, he confirmed, “This is real.”
My hand tightened around the glass while my breathing became uneven.
“You feel that?”
“No,” I lied.
His gaze flicked up to meet mine. “You will.”
The way he said it wasn’t hopeful. It was certain. My heart pounded harder, and his hand still didn’t move.
“Kraven…”
He didn’t answer. He just watched me.
Waiting.
I became hyperaware of everything. The way he was kneeling between my legs. The way his hand rested against me like it belonged. The way his eyes searched mine like he was looking for permission.
Or is that forgiveness?
“I’m here.” He read my mind.
