Page 72 of Disguised as Love

His hand moved from my chin so that his palm cupped my cheek and his thumb landed on my lips, caressing them with his touch and causing liquid heat to pour through my veins. It was completely ridiculous and inappropriate for me to feel this much need at a time like this, with my father’s funeral having been interrupted by car bombs and my family on the run. But I couldn’t stop the reaction. There seemed to be no elements I could combine to stop the way his electrons pulled mine to his.

“My father used to tease my mother that they were each other’s kryptonite,” he said, which wasn’t a response at all and only served to frustrate me more.

“Kryptonite isn’t a real chemical,” I insisted.

“I never understood it.” He acted like I hadn’t even talked while his hand continued to explore the contours of my face. “Why would he think they could destroy each other? Why would he let anything that could destroy either of them remain that close?”

The car was so tiny and Malone was so huge that we were almost on top of each other as it was, but he moved his face until his lips were almost brushing mine. They were so close I could feel the vibration of his words along my skin.

“But now I get it,” he continued. “Because I can’t walk away from you, even as I see both our worlds crumbling apart around us. It’s like you’ve tied invisible strings around my veins, and every time you move, my body gets dragged right along.”

My heart hammered. His words were as beautiful as they were cruel.

I ground my teeth as frustration and anger soared through me, and I tried to pull away again. But all it served to do was cause his beautifully full lips to twitch.

“That fire…Jesus. I like it almost as much as I like this…” And then he was kissing me again. It had none of the fierceness of our kiss on the boat. That one, he’d let me lead. That one had been fueled by fear and sadness and relief that we were still alive. This was a slow promise. A taste of wine before you’re poured the full glass. His mouth glided across mine with grace and warmth, and every single inch of me melted into it. Body. Soul. Heart.

I wanted this man. I wanted the hands that played piano with ease and grace to play me with the same effortlessness. I wanted the warmth and safety I felt when he was standing near me to envelop me in every molecule as he pummeled into me. But I also wanted more than just his body. I wanted him to be mine. I wanted to know what he’d been like as a child and to know the mother he loved enough to call in the middle of an op just so she knew he was okay. I wanted him tied to me with those strings he’d mentioned, because he’d already wrapped his around me. He’d tied them there when I wasn’t looking, and even if he left me right now to fend for myself?which he should?the strings would still be there. I’d never be able to sever them.

A small moan escaped me, and it was met with a growl from him as he dragged me closer. The gearshift bit into my thigh, and I didn’t care. All I cared about was losing myself in his eyes, his lips, his caress. I opened my mouth, and he filled it, slowly exploring, tangling our tongues together, joining them in a sensual dance that felt ancient and old, belonging to everyone that had come before us and yet was exclusively ours.

My hands tugged at the jacket he’d slid on over his dress shirt, needing to feel the heat of his skin on my hands. But my motion seemed to break the trance of our kiss, because he pulled back with a groan. He closed his eyes, rested his forehead against mine, and muttered, “Kryptonite.”

Then, he gently pushed me away.

“I have to stay focused, little one. I have to. Otherwise, we’ll all end up dead. Next time I kiss you, kick me in the shins instead of opening those sexy lips and letting me in.”

I choked on a half-laugh.

He scoured our surroundings out the window.

“Stay here. I’m going across to get waters and food.” He pointed to the marina store. He used the two wires under the steering wheel to start the car back up. “Get in the driver’s seat. If anything happens while I’m gone, leave.”

“No one knows we’re here,” I insisted, even though we both knew that Volkov had eyes and ears everywhere in the city.

“Just humor me.”

I came around the car and slid into the driver’s seat, pulling it as close to the dash as I could get it. He stared at me for a long moment, as if debating leaving me, and then headed for the marina as he tugged his beanie down lower over his face and slouched his huge shoulders again.

I rested my chin against the steering wheel, watching him walk away.

Everything in my life was in shambles, and instead of feeling the fear and anger I’d felt earlier, I was suddenly and strangely filled with hope. Not only because of the thought niggling at the back of my brain about Papa but because one man had said he couldn’t leave me. Because there was a promise in his kiss that I knew he meant to fulfill. That I wanted fulfilled.

Cruz

KINGDOM COME

“All the demons cry ‘cause you and I

Found love in a broken place.”

Performed by Demi Lovato

Written by McCutcheon / Lovato / Michaels / Kelly

As I crossed the parking lot toward the marina store, I cursed myself. It was stupid to leave her in the car, but if I hadn’t, I would never have cleared my head. I would have dragged her into the backseat and lost myself in her like some teen at a drive-in, regardless of the daylight filling the sky.

I had to keep my eyes open until Nolan could get us the hell out of Russia. Kryptonite or not, I couldn’t afford more moments of weakness. I’d only been slightly teasing when I’d told her to kick me in the shins next time I tried to kiss her. I needed one of us to keep our wits about us.

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