Page 25 of Twisted Princess

As if sensing my eyes on him, Gleb shifts his head, his gaze meeting mine in the dark. It captivates me, making it impossible to look away.

My heart hammers against my ribs, my stomach knotting.

I can’t stand it any longer. This overwhelming need. The throbbing desire.

It makes every breath a burden for my lungs. If I don’t do something about it, I’ll suffocate.

Leaning in, I close my eyes to gently press my lips to Gleb’s.

And my heart stops when he doesn’t pull away.

10

GLEB

Ashock of electricity lances through me as Mel’s soft lips find mine. The jolt stops my heart, freezing it in my ribs and trapping the air in my lungs.

My body was already humming from the way she sat close enough that our thighs touched, our shoulders brushing, despite the decent length of my couch.

The darkness she plunged us into for her optimal movie-viewing experience sent my senses on high alert. Much like that time I went to the theater—only this time, I’m not thinking about a potential threat.

All I can think about is Mel.

As soon as she sat beside me, I could hear her soft, shallow breaths, feel her body shift when she looked at me, sense the tension in her long limbs as they curled into a ball beneath her.

But none of that holds a candle to the way I respond physically to her now.

Instantly, my heart breaks into an erratic sprint, my cock hardening eagerly at her irresistible touch.

Her sweet, fresh scent makes my mouth water, and my muscles hum with the need to pull her close enough for me to consume her.

How many times have I told myself—and Mel—that this is off the table?

More than I care to count.

But the conversations Mel and I have had today, the way she opened up to me, gives me a sense of hope I hadn’t dared consider since I left Boston without her. And right now, tonight, it doesn’t feel like she’s trying to repay me for something—not after she’s already done so much.

“Is this okay?” she breathes against my lips, her fingers finding the nape of my neck. And she sets my skin ablaze as my chest aches.

Is this okay? I don’t know. My judgment’s too muddled for me to be sure.

But like she said, we’re just behaving like two ordinary people spending time together.

What if that means we could have something real after all?

Maybe, if I take things more slowly with Mel, I can avoid chasing her off. Because every time we do this dance, we dive in headfirst, and then Mel panics. And runs away from me.

Every muscle in me tenses at the thought.

I can’t let that happen again.

I won’t.

“Gleb?” she murmurs, a trickle of anxiety entering her tone.

I don’t know. And I hate not having the answer. But Mel’s warmth radiates into my chest as she turns to lean closer, and I can’t tell her no. Conflict wars between my ribs as my traitorous head nods yes.

Mel’s quickly released breath washes across my face, and then she’s deepening our kiss. Her tongue traces the seam between my lips, and my body throbs to welcome her in. To match the heat of her embrace.

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