[SARA.]The sheets up to her chest, Sara's eyes stayed with him at the edge of the bed, his back stooped over a blade he was carefully running through an oiled cloth.The katana was his favorite possession, the pretty but deadly-looking sword that gave her shivers each time she stared at it.She sighed, curling farther into the bed, darting her eyes to the wall. He had been quiet and cranky recently; she wondered what he was thinking. He usually wasn't that outspoken, but lately, she found herself locked with him in the four corners of his apartment.No, she wasn't complaining. She wanted to be close, but— she shut her eyes, trying to catch some sleep. But maybe not like this. And it all began when he returned from Italy, demanding everyone vacate the club except her. Then he looked quite radiant, his palm cupping her face, kissing her hard before he jogged to have a shower.There were moments of intimacy that wouldn't be called that in a usual sense but for someone like Ruslan, that
LILY'S POV.Going to Adler that night was a major mistake, probably the biggest blunder I'd ever made.And if you think it was my morals biting me, accusing me of what a horrible human I was, taking advantage of his situation, then you're wrong.Since that day, my whole body tingled and throbbed, and suddenly I was more sensitive than usual, not to talk of dreams, dirty, slimy, hot dreams that had me sweating although the window was wide open.Opening my books was much more challenging now, for in-between scenes, I found myself drifting, lips parted and nearly emitting moans.I wasn't about to make a habit of sneaking into his room, no damn way. Especially not in a time as serious as this one. But if he was to come to mine, would I turn him out? Did I have that much self-control?Of course, I did. I had self-control, but then sex had been a duty expected of me, and I did it without my soul in it. But with him, I mean, I did feel my soul leaving my body, forgetting about the manor and
AUTHOR'S POV [SALVATORE]She hurried up the stairs, and he couldn't tear his eyes off her moving frame.He had seen the embarrassment on her face, and it became apparent she didn't even know it was there.Adler knew how to mark what he wanted—open for all to see and understand and vehemently back off.It was never a problem. Maybe because Adler had never done this to anyone before her, for he never let anyone stick around this long, and he and Rune didn't believe him when he kept repeating about the girl that saved his life.But now... What was wrong with him? Why was he acting all concerned if Adler wanted her so much that he was indirectly telling him to back off?Lily wasn't up for Adler, he knew. There was no way Domenico's son would suddenly be a saint after years of being something that couldn't be explained. How long was Adler going to pretend?But are you only concerned about her well-being? The low voice was back again. That quiet voice shunned him whenever he tried to asser
LILY'S POV."...Please do not be pissed, but, uh, I have to be sure."I knew my voice held nervousness, sitting opposite her, across from the kitchen, seeing Kyra swipe jam over a piece of bread with her eyes still on me. Her expression was unreadable.At least she didn't look like she was about to stab me with that knife.Pulling my eyes off the knife, I returned it to Kyra's face, "Did you say Salvatore is still in the Manor?""Yeah," she faced the bread again, dropping it on a plate and picking another plain one, "Why haven't you seen him yet? Or is it that he's purposely avoiding you?"I resisted the urge to scowl at her for spitting out my belief without remorse. The desire heightened when she brought the sandwich to her lips and slowly chewed while still watching me.Stupid me, thinking because of her moment of self-reflection days ago, she'd become much nicer to me. At least she wasn't threatening me with a gun.Gazing down at my untouched breakfast on the table, I slowly pushe
AUTHOR'S POV [ADLER]"Okay, Don, if you don't like this, I do not know what flavor would appeal to your taste." She snatched the cone from him, taking a massive bite from the ice cream before turning to the vendor, and he could hear her smile when she ordered, "Something less sweet,"Adler watched her back and how she was on her toes for no other reason than what he suspected was excitement.What was the bet she wasn't as eager as he was? Standing so close behind her but in the FUCKING MIDDLE OF NOWHERE.This street was far from what he had in mind. Rowdy, with people strolling down the walk, the music blaring at the other side of the road hurt his ears.He had lost count of the number of cones he had bitten from, looking for the best to suit his taste.The irony was that he hated ice cream, the taste, the way it affected his bud, but she wasn't about to listen to that excuse. Naa, he wasn't about to tell her that.He loved the way she fused over him, how she reached up and wiped the
Slowly, she slid her hands off his hold, and just like that, he saw her shoulders slumped as she turned around towards the voice.The lights surrounding her dimmed, even darker than the street they were in, the black clouds succeeding in shielding the sun off their gazes.She rubbed her arm, standing before the middle-aged lady who didn't look like a figure wild enough to wreck all those emotions into her, her pleasant face a far cry from intimidating."Hi, Miss Audrey; how do you do?"The woman waved carelessly, "Oh, I'm fine," she let her eyes graze Lily right from the top of her head, even till her toes, "Mind, I say you look good; I was worried about you until Luciano said not to be."He didn't know why Audrey reminded him so much of the chatterbox, and unlike the chatterbox, Lily looked like she wished the ground would open up and swallow her."There's no need to be worried about me; I promise you I'm good," her voice was nearly a mutter. "You look good too, Audrey."Lily was nev
The drive to the manor was marked by silence, the car carrying her quiet demeanor, leaning against the window, fixated on the view outside.They were both in the passenger seat, and he made no move to close the distance between them. If she thought she needed it, then that was fine.Fuck! That was so close he couldn't stop thinking that if they were a couple of minutes early, that could have been their last. If she weren't also threatened, he would have laughed it off. Speak of a narrow escape. But she was pretty shaken; even now, time and again, the shivers came abruptly. It startled her when she least expected it, but then she inhaled deeply and kept herself in check again. It could have been anyone, lying in wait, ready to stick that against the car, that that person had watched his most private moment with her, had him raging.He looked at her; how bad was her shock? Did people need a doctor for this kind of thing, or did they get over it as time passed?Damn, he was terrible a
Athena trailed her nails along the rim of the glass, meeting his gaze, "If you invited me here to stare at my face, rest assured, I do not have complaints. You can look all you want."He felt the need to scoff, but knowing it wasn't her fault sitting opposite him, pretty like a picture all but ready to sink her head into what she had no clue about. His father told him she was doing this on her own will, and seeing her now, yeah, she wasn't forced. She seemed even to demand it. Demand him.Refilling his glass, he picked it by his rim and stood up, "I expect my one-night stands to remain just that. Still don't understand what you are doing here."Her calm had finally simmered, and she dropped the cup on the table, still glaring at him, "You know why I am here? You know exactly why your father...""He said you wanted it." Although his voice came out low, it still cut her off, and there he knew he had hit a point. She wanted this for herself. She averted her gaze to the wall.The raging