Total pages in book: 138
Estimated words: 127461 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 637(@200wpm)___ 510(@250wpm)___ 425(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 127461 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 637(@200wpm)___ 510(@250wpm)___ 425(@300wpm)
“I deliberately took off my gloves,” he said. “I can’t wear them all the time, and if we do this, you will have to get used to seeing the tattoo. I know it must be a trigger for you and very offensive. Later, I can have it lasered off.”
She continued to brush her finger over his, tracing the powerful muscles of the leopard tattoo on his hand. “None of the men who attacked me when I was a child had this tattoo. Patva kept his gloves on. I saw the tattoo when you held me after you had killed everyone. You’d taken your gloves off to shift. You lifted me onto your lap, and I remember staring down at your hands and seeing the leopard. For the first time, with your arms around me, I felt safe, even when I hurt everywhere and there was blood from one end of the room to the other.”
He cleared his throat. “I didn’t realize that.”
Maya nodded. “It’s true. I shut the door on those memories to stay sane, but I always remembered the tattoo. For some reason, that had become a symbol of safety to me. I had considered getting a similar tattoo until I looked it up on the internet and realized it was considered by many to represent the bratva. I certainly didn’t want to put anything on my body that would mark me as theirs. I already had enough reminders.”
“Many people think the tattoo is bratva,” Gorya said, “but it’s a family tattoo, and no one else has it but those of us born of Amurov blood.” He tipped up her face, his gaze moving over hers as if to assure himself she was telling him the truth. “It’s nice to hear that for once, our family ink symbolizes something good, especially for you.”
She could see, beyond his casual words and tone, that it really did mean something to him that she found his tattoo comforting.
“There isn’t a guarantee I can do this, Gorya,” she reminded him. She wanted honesty between them. Maybe in learning to be honest with him, she’d find out who she was meant to be. Someone better.
“Did I ask for a guarantee, Maya? You persist in thinking you’re the only damaged one in this relationship. I might implode, and you’ll have to be another Gedeon.”
She laughed. She couldn’t help it. “I think Gedeon would have to worry about me because I’ll have your back. He’s going to be creeping around, scared I’ll be stalking him. I’ll have to be on alert for his wife somewhere on top of a building with me in her sights. Your cousins would show up. It would be a hot mess, so best to just stay sane, Gorya.”
The frost in his eyes softened to a pale blue. “Before my knees give out and Rogue tells me I’ve ruined him for fighting, we have to get to step two.”
“Step two?” Maya should have panicked, but she was too intrigued now. She was past being totally panicked around him. She wanted the relationship and was willing to work for it. Once she recognized she wasn’t the only one struggling, it was easier for her.
Gorya was back to using his hand like a seductive weapon, his palm stealing around to the nape of her neck, where his fingers settled in her thick hair. It was impossible not to be aware of the way he gathered the mass into his fist, and she slowly tilted her head up toward his.
“Kissing. I’m going to kiss you.”
Thunder roared in her ears, nearly drowning out his soft murmur. She was sure she hadn’t heard him correctly. “Kiss me?” she echoed faintly. She should have expected it.
“Yeah, baby, I’m going to kiss you. If I don’t, you’re going to start thinking about it and you’re going to panic again.”
He was right, but she might panic now. “I don’t know how to kiss.”
“That’s fine. We’ll learn together. We’ll just practice until we get it right.”
His head had come closer to hers. Much closer. She could see the fine lines etched into his skin. Those lines represented the trauma he’d suffered as a child. Just seeing those creases settled her. She identified with him. She wasn’t threatened by him. She was needed by him.
His lips curved as if he knew what she was thinking. His warm breath reached the left corner of her mouth. Her entire body went taut in anticipation. Every nerve ending came alive. Little goose bumps rose on her skin. His lips brushed hers lightly—a delicate touch, but she felt it like a brand. Her stomach fluttered. A thousand butterflies lifted in flight.
Kissing was so intimate. She should close her eyes, but she was mesmerized by the way his eyes continued to change color, darkening with desire to a deeper blue, the silver ring around the blue thicker. This time she could read the stark passion mixed with growing affection for her. Growing need. Not just the need of a lover. There was that, but it was so much more. Like her, he wanted a much deeper relationship. He wanted something real with her.