Stoking the Fire (Salus Security #1) - Teodora Kostova Page 0,45

tell him about the death threats, some details of the attack on Dawn that were not published in the press, about Evie and her next surgery. I’m not sure how much Alec hears—he seems to be entirely absorbed by his phone on the other side of the studio.

By the time I’m done talking, our glasses are nearly empty, and Adri has reached over and is holding my hand, our fingers entwined. I haven’t even realized he’s done it until I feel his warm palm against mine.

“I’m sorry you had to deal with all this alone,” Adri says, scooting a little closer. He brushes a lock of hair away from my forehead, his fingers lingering.

I close my eyes. I’ve missed him, missed this. I’m so starved for touch that the little scraps I’m getting are making my heart soar.

When I open my eyes, Adri isn’t looking at me. His eyes are trained on Alec, who’s holding his gaze with open hostility. If he clenches his jaw any tighter, fillings are going to start popping off.

“Adri…” I begin, not knowing what I want to say exactly. But this whole staring contest they’ve got going on makes me uncomfortable.

He turns, his mouth curving into a wolfish smile. And then…

Then he leans in, brushing his lips against mine.

I recoil, my heart beating so fast that I struggle to take a breath.

Instinctively, I glance at Alec, who’s watching us, his face a stone mask, his fingers white around his phone.

For some reason I can’t articulate, this doesn’t feel right.

“No,” I whisper, placing a hand on Adri's chest.

“Why not?” he whispers back, his breath ghosting my lips.

I can’t reply. I just shake my head and lean back on the couch, away from him.

A memory I tried so hard to bury nudges at the edges of my vision, playing and replaying scenes I want to forget. The moment Alec left, his back as he walked away; the suffocating sadness as I fell to the floor and sobbed; the anger that came after and made me do things I’ll always regret. The moment I kissed Adri in front of my camera, and then sent the photo to Alec; the desperation that was threatening to eat me alive when he never called.

Guilt swamps me, chasing the memories away and settling in my heart.

Adri sighs loudly, bringing my attention back to him. He’s watching me with narrowed eyes, studying me as if trying to read my thoughts. Before I can react, he grabs me by the arm and pulls me up with surprising strength for his lithe body.

“Wha—” I begin, but can’t formulate a question as I’m being dragged toward the bathroom.

He shoves me inside, then slams the door behind us.

“What are you doing?” I hiss. “He’ll think we’re…”

“Fucking?” Adri raises an eyebrow, folding his arms. “Let him.”

“That’s not fair.”

“You did nothing wrong.” Back then. He doesn’t have to say it; I know what he means. We’ve had this discussion too many times to count. “You broke up. He left for fucking LA. He left you, even though he knew you were on the verge of a fucking mental breakdown!” His voice rises, his arms unfolding in one stiff move.

“I was not.”

“You were. Cut the shit, Zach.”

“It wasn’t his fault.”

“No, it wasn’t.” He moves closer to me. When he speaks again, his voice is gentler, and so are his eyes. “But you don’t just leave the people you care about behind.”

I sit on the edge of the tub. “Why are we even talking about this? What’s the point of rehashing the past? He made a choice, and so did I. There’s plenty of blame to throw around, but what’s the point, Adri?”

“The point is that you’re still in love with him…”

“I am not.”

“And,” he continues as if I haven’t spoken, “he came back for you.”

I huff out a sardonic laugh. “He didn’t. He came back because the contract my father offered him is too lucrative to turn down.”

Another raised eyebrow. “You’re way too smart to be this obtuse.”

I glower at him. With a put-upon sigh, he comes closer and sits on the edge next to me. “Do you want him back?”

“No,” I answer automatically.

In the silence that follows, my mind swirls around the single syllable, pulling it apart until it disappears.

“You want him back.” It isn’t a question this time. “You’ve always wanted him back, Zach.”

I shake my head. “Getting back with your ex is always a bad idea, Adri.”

“You know how much I love generalizations,” he says, bumping his