“Spending time with Simi.”
“I love her.” His smile widens. “You have the most amazing daughter,angelche moe.”
I can see he means every word, and it feels as if something unfurls from the ashes of my past. It’s an emotion I never thought I’d feel again.
As I stare at Georgi, I realize I’ve had a crush on him since I saw him sitting at the table in the bar, and it’s developing into so much more. It’s shooting down roots in my heart, making hopes and dreams blossom, every petal fragile.
My gaze drifts over every inch of his face before stopping on his mouth.
The last time I kissed someone because I wanted to, I was seventeen and crushing hard on Daniel. He was the smartest in our class. Even though we kissed, we didn’t have a relationship because he left to go study in England while I…
No. No thinking of that time. Not now.
I focus on Georgi again, wondering what it would be like to kiss him.
Everything around me fades away until there’s him, and the way he’s looking at me. The magical trance spins tighter around me, and without knowing what I’m doing, I lean closer…and closer.
“Wait.”
The bubble pops so loud, my cheeks instantly flame up and I jerk away.
Georgi’s hand shoots up, and he grips me behind my neck before I can get up, then I’m hauled back until our faces are close together again.
“I want to tell you something.” His tone is still soft and seductive, and it sets me at ease. “I’ve never kissed a woman.”
My eyebrows fly up, and I blink at him, because…what?
“You’re lying.” The words are out before I can stop them.
Georgi smiles again, then explains, “It’s something that’s very special to me. I vowed I would only kiss a woman if I love her, and I’ve never felt that way about anyone until you.” The expression on his face turns half cocky and very, very hot. “I wanted you to know that, so if I suck at kissing, you won’t laugh at me.”
“So what did you do when you were…busy with a woman?”
“I was always direct about what would happen. No kissing. Everything else was on the table.”
Again, we stare at each other as I process what I’ve just learned about Georgi.
Knowing he’s inexperienced, and it will give me control, I ask, “Is that something you want? For us to kiss?”
He nods, his thumb brushing over the skin beneath my ear. “I want everything from you, Nina. When you’re ready.”
I think I can handle kissing.
My gaze drops to his mouth, and I stare at his full lips surrounded by dark bristles.
When my pulse skyrockets, I close the distance between us before I lose my nerve. The instant our mouths touch, a shock moves through me. It’s so unexpected that my hands fly up and I grip fistfuls of his shirt.
Georgi’s lips are warm and hesitant beneath mine, and the inexperience I feel coming from him makes my chest tighten.
I brush my mouth over his again, slower this time, lingering to let him grow accustomed to how it feels, then I gently nip his lower lip before pulling back.
A smirk spreads over his face, making him look boyish and wicked all at once, and the sight sends heat rushing through my abdomen.
Unable to resist, I lean in again. “Open for me.” My whisper is filled with desire.
When he does as I say, I press my mouth to his, and the moment my tongue brushes over his, a tremor moves through me, making me gasp. I feel the same shudder ripple through Georgi, and his breath is sharp as he tilts his head.
Moving onto my knees, I lean against his chest as I deepen the kiss, showing him without words what to do.
