Page 15 of Twilight Sins

I jump at the deep rumble of his voice, but the driver must be used to it. He glances in the rearview mirror once, looking away quickly when our eyes meet, and starts to drive.

This is stupid.

I am stupid.

There’s still time. We haven’t even pulled out of the alley. I could ask the driver to stop the car and get out. Or I could just pull on the handle. Rolling across the cement wouldn’t hurt too bad at ten miles per hour. I’d probably rip my dress, but that’s a small price to pay in the big scheme of things.

“Having second thoughts?” Yakov murmurs.

I press my shoulder harder against the door. It feels like the words tickle the back of my neck, but he’s still on his side of the car. He hasn’t moved.

“Yeah, but this dress cost too much to risk ripping it on the pavement.” I don’t have a firm enough grasp of my thoughts to pretend. He’s getting unfiltered Luna right now. God help him.

“No risk of that. The doors are locked. I’d hate for you to get away.”

My heart sputters.

I’m locked in. He locked me in. Locked. Me. In.

My fingers itch towards the handle with the need to check. Another part of me doesn’t want to know. If I pull the handle and it doesn’t budge, what then? Like he already pointed out, I can’t fight Yakov.

“You can breathe,” he says with a dark chuckle. I look over and he’s cast in a yellow tint thanks to the streetlights. His mouth is tilted in a smirk. “I was kidding. The doors aren’t locked. No need to check and accidentally fall out.”

The driver turns out of the alley and accelerates into traffic. Ripping my dress would be the least of my worries if I fell out now.

“Are you lying? About the doors? Maybe you could tell I was nervous and are trying to keep me calm.”

He doesn’t take his eyes off of me. “It wouldn’t matter.”

“If I was calm?”

“That. Or if you tried to jump out.” He shrugs.

His eyes are dark in the dim interior of the car, but I see the glimmer as they slide up and down my body. “I gave you a choice. You chose to come with me. There’s no need to chase you… is there?”

I’m giving you the choice. I’m asking you to come with me, Luna. Make things simple and just say yes.

Kayla won’t believe this. She had to trick me into going on a date. Yet here I am an hour later, in the back of some strange car with a gorgeous man who clearly has boatloads of money. Enough money that he can afford a personal driver, at least.

Hell, I don’t even believe this and I’m the one it’s all happening to. I still can’t decide if I’m unbelievably scared of Yakov or unbelievably attracted to him. Is “both” a bad answer?

I shift away from the door and let my hand slip from my thigh. My fingers fall onto the leather seat. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Suddenly, Yakov grabs my hand and pulls me closer to him.

I slide across the seat and slam into his side. The smell of him is everywhere. His hand curves around my hip, fingers spread wide to hold even more of me.

“I know you’re not.”

I’m off-balance and out of sorts. When I look up, his mouth is inches from mine. I’m close enough that his eyes look green again. Deep and impenetrable.

I’m shaking. I know he can feel it. Still, I roll my eyes. “Is it hard, carrying around all of that humility? You must be exhausted.”

“You don’t know the meaning of the word.” He tucks a strand of hair behind my ear. I didn’t know men did that. Not in real life. “Not yet.”

I’m grateful for the darkness. If only so he can’t see the heat creeping up my neck.

“There’s not some sad woman waiting for you back at the restaurant, is there?”

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