Lured into Love (Blossom in Winter #2) - Melanie Martins Page 0,57
black X inked in the center of her inner wrist. It’s not too big, but visible enough to notice it.
“Thanks,” I hear her saying, before she drinks a bit of her water.
“Nice tattoos.”
She gives a quick glance at her left one, then her eyes land on mine and she just says, “Yours too.”
I thought she would open up and tell me the meaning behind the letter X. After all, when it comes to mine, they all have a reason for being on my skin. So I ask, “I’ve never seen that type of tattoo before. What’s the meaning behind it?”
Yara just replies with a side smile as she keeps observing me with her dark brown eyes. Then she takes another sip of her water, letting an awkward silence settle between us, like I asked a question I shouldn’t have.
“It means I’m different,” she replies, keeping it way too short for my liking.
“Oh, I’ve got one that says exactly that.” I show her my left inner forearm, where it says, In our differences lies our strength, the quote written in italics on one single line. It’s one of the first tattoos I got, but it’s still my favorite one.
“You got that because of her?” And it doesn’t take a genius to know who the her is that she’s referring to.
“Yeah,” I utter vaguely. “And you? You got them because of someone?”
Another question that Yara wishes I wouldn’t have asked. She lets out an exasperated breath that makes me feel like I stepped over some sort of boundary.
“No,” she replies back. “I didn’t get them because of someone.”
“So you just woke up one day and thought, ‘Why not get the letter X tattooed on each of my wrists?’”
At this point, I know Yara is getting pretty pissed off by my insistence. All of a sudden, she steps closer and stands just inches from me. Then she meticulously observes every feature of my face, and, to my greatest surprise, the back of her fingers go to my cheek and she starts stroking it. Her touch is exciting and petrifying at the same time. It reminds me of one of the Bond villains stroking his white cat. “You know curiosity killed the cat, don’t you?”
Fuck, I freeze on the spot as she says that. Not that I’m scared, but because I didn’t see it coming. Playing along, I lock my eyes on hers and tell her, “I enjoy taking risks.”
There is a trace of a smile filled with pride that lands on her lips. By now, this feels like a test. Yeah, she’s testing me, my character, and my audacity.
“Don’t play a game you can’t win, Emma.”
Oh boy, she’s really testing me. My heart feels stuck in my throat, but I remain as stoic as possible. If there is one thing I’m pretty good at, it’s games. And whatever is happening between us right now, it’s electrifying, bizarre, and pretty exciting. The more I look at her, the more I want her mouth on mine, to taste her lips and feel her tongue tangle with mine. But the fucking truth is, I’m just too nervous to take the plunge, so instead I just lean over and whisper, “I may surprise you.”
Her lips part slightly in astonishment, and her eyes drift down to my mouth. I swear, the tension shifts at that instant—it’s sexual, visceral, and my heartbeat feels like it’s about to jump out of my chest. She licks her lips. I swallow at the sight, and I’m this close to kissing her.
“The break is over.”
But Yara’s frigid voice crashes all my hopes, and the air between us cools down just as fast.
She turns her back on me like the bitch she is and leaves the kitchen. And while I’m left wet and hanging like a dumbass, I’ve got no options but to blink twice, mentally slap myself, and follow her. If this is a game, then we are at Yara 1, Emma 0.
We take our horses again to the vast green field on my estate, and once Mrs. Van Lawick is back in her saddle, she’s also back in polo trainer mode, or yeller, or whatever she is.
After another half an hour of training, my skills have truly improved, and despite the fact that she annoys the hell out of me, I must say, I feel way more confident as a horseback rider than before. Once Yara announces we are done for the day, we put the horses back in the stables and