me.
At the back of my mind, something was screaming at me to think straight. I didn’t know this man. No matter how wonderful it felt around him, he was a stranger. It had only been a few days since we’d met.
I broke the kiss and untangled myself from his arms. Maybe I needed to take a step back. Not just physically, but mentally. Emotionally. I had to think straight, and I couldn’t do that with Viktor so close.
“I think I’ll go out for a while,” I announced, wiping my mouth to erase the feeling of his lips.
Viktor frowned, his dark eyes turning almost black. “Where?”
“I don’t know, into the forest. Just for a walk.”
Viktor shook his head. “No, Malen kiy.”
“You can’t stop me,” I challenged.
He curled his hands into fists and shook his head. “No, you’re right. I can’t stop you.”
Why was he being so weird about this? He didn’t want me outside. He didn’t want me to leave. But he insisted on telling me nothing was wrong. He wouldn’t talk to me. He made me feel amazing, but something about what was going on here felt… off.
I just wanted to get away from him for a short while so I could think about what was happening. I couldn’t put it all into perspective, especially not when I was caught up with him in the small cabin. Everything about Viktor was mesmerizing, intoxicating. But not everything made sense.
I just wanted to get away and think.
“I’m not your prisoner,” I said, even though he’d just admitted he couldn’t stop me. “If I want to leave, I’m going to leave.”
“Absolutely,” Viktor said, although his words and his expression didn’t match. “But not yet.”
“What does that mean, not yet?” I asked, folding my arms over my chest. “I can’t stay forever, you know. I need to leave as it is in a short while, anyway.”
“Not until it’s safe,” Viktor said.
I frowned at him. “What do you mean, not until it’s safe? I don’t think there will be any more mudslides or anything. I know what to look out for now.”
Viktor shook his head, and it looked like a war was being waged in his head. What the hell was he thinking? And why wouldn’t he talk to me?
“You can go out when it is safe, but not before then. I won’t forgive myself if you get hurt.”
He sounded so sincere, so emotionally torn, I couldn’t help but nod, agree with him.
Viktor stepped away from me and turned to the fireplace where he started stoking a fire, even though it wasn’t very cold. I had a feeling he wanted something to do with his hands so he wouldn’t stand there and feel awkward. I watched him work, his strong hands building a fire with ease, his large form hunched and tense.
I wished that the communication between us could be different. I wanted him to talk to me, to be open with me about what was going on in his mind. But just as much as I didn’t know him, he didn’t know me, either. And I couldn’t expect him to open up to me.
I sat down in one of the armchairs when Viktor kindled the fire to life. When the flames crackled, taking hold, licking the wood and burning bright, Viktor stepped back and sat in the other armchair. Together, we stared into the fire.
“You know, you’re different than the men I’ve known in my life,” I confessed.
Viktor glanced at me. “Different how?” he asked tightly.
I pulled up my shoulders. “You’re huge. I mean… you are.” I laughed, feeling silly for how I’d put it. “You look like you can handle your own, you know? You can fight if you need to, I think.” Viktor nodded once. “But I don’t think you will. I mean, if you need to, it’s different. But I’m not scared of you. “
“And you’re usually scared of men,” Viktor stated.
“Not scared, exactly. I just don’t trust them.”
He turned to me, his eyes dark and serious. “You know you can trust me, Angel. I will never do anything to hurt you. And I will do everything in my power to protect you.”
I smiled at him, but the expression changed after a sigh. “I know, and you will, as long as I’m here. But it’s not that simple.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean what I’ve been saying for days,” I reminded him. “I have to go home. I have to see my mother and finish my job. I have a new job