I finally open my eyes, Viktor is hovering over me, his elbows on either side of my head. His blue eyes are blown wide with lust, and I slide my hand down his stomach, reaching for what must be the ache between his legs, but he snatches my hand before I can get there and shakes his head. He brings my hand back to his lips and kisses my fingertips, sucking them into his delicious, devastating mouth.
“That was for you. I don’t want anything back.”
I want to argue, but my arms and legs are jelly. As much as I want to make him black out with lust, I also feel like I might black out myself. So, I wrap my arms around his neck and hug him to my chest, taking deep breaths of his woodsy, lemony scent as I try to stay in this moment forever.
Because for the first time in weeks, I forgot everything except for Viktor.
And it was heaven.
20
Molly
When I wake up, I’m in my room upstairs.
I wipe at my eyes and realize I’m naked. I have no memory of coming upstairs, so Viktor must have carried me.
When I roll over, I see him lying in the bed next to me, one strong arm thrown over his head. He is cast in a silhouette against the navy-blue sky visible through the wall of windows behind him. It is late at night or early in the morning—I can’t tell which—but either way, I want to tuck myself against his chest and fall back asleep. Because he is my safe place.
The thought hits me like a slap in the face, and I almost gasp from the force of it.
Viktor is my home base. Sometime in the last few weeks, he became the person I feel safest with. Not only that, he became the person I want to keep safe.
Not just physically, but emotionally.
This life is too heavy for any one person to carry alone, and I want to help Viktor carry the weight. I want to talk to him about his day and help him muddle through the decisions that come with leadership. I want to be Viktor’s partner, and I want him to be mine.
I’m staring at him, blinking like a crazy person when I finally hear the reason I woke up in the first place. My phone is vibrating on the nightstand.
I grab for my phone, worried it could be an issue with Theo. The few times he has stayed the night away from me, he needs to call and hear my voice in the middle of the night.
Instead of the nanny’s name, however, I see Hannah’s.
I grab my phone and a throw blanket from the end of the bed and walk into the hallway to answer.
“Hey, what’s going on?” The clock on my phone says it is almost three in the morning. If Hannah is calling now, something must be wrong. “Where are you?”
“Outside,” she says, sounding breathless. “I’m only a block from your place, and I need to talk to you.”
I frown and shake my head, tired and confused. “You said you’d be able to find a place to sleep tonight. If you can’t, you can obviously come up and stay in your room. I’ll have the guards unlock the door for you.”
“That isn’t it. I don’t need a place to sleep. I’m not tired.” She sighs, making me doubt the truth in her statement. “I just need to talk to you.”
“Come inside and talk. I’ll make some tea. Just come over and—”
“Not while he is there,” she snaps, venom dripping from her words.
Hannah has been so relaxed since she arrived to stay with me. Even when she found out about Viktor and his penchant for violence, she was worried about me, but calm. So, I’m not sure where this new emotion is coming from. I tell Hannah as much.
“You haven’t had an issue with Viktor since you got here. Why now? What happened?”
“I came to my senses, Molly. That’s what happened. I hate the way that criminal has lured you in and corrupted you. I’ve had time to think about it tonight and—and he isn’t a good man. I can’t stay with you anymore, and you shouldn’t either. You need to come talk to me and see sense and let me help you.”
“Hannah.” I say her name calmly, trying to ease her back from the emotional ledge. “It is late and this is crazy. Just come home, and we’ll talk tomorrow.”
“That isn’t my home!”