Page 32 of Guarded By the Vodnik

“It’s almost certain those lamias acted on his behalf,” I said, warmed by her acceptance for necessary violence.

Because it was necessary. It was one of my cornerstone beliefs. Some villains could never change, and the only way to stop them from hurting others was death.

“They got what they deserved,” she said viciously.

A warm feeling of pride glowed in my chest. Suddenly, I wished I could kill Carver myself, and then every single one of his employees and supporters, too. Not just because they deserved it, but because it would earn me Zoe’s gratitude and awe.

“So, what now?” she asked, squeezing my sides with her hot legs.

I sped up while I explained where we were heading.

“There are few options in the lake to stay in hiding and dry,” I said with regret. “We’re headed for a small hut that doesn’t have a dry space, but it’s remote and well-hidden. We can regroup there while I consider the other possible locations. Ideally, we’ll keep moving.”

“For one more week,” Zoe said with a sigh that fogged up her mask. “Okay. I guess it will be hard, but it’s not for long. You know what’s strange? I’m not even afraid. I was, at the start. Like, this lake terrified me. It’s so dark, so completely uniform. I don’t have any idea where we are—but you do. And I trust you completely.”

Something inside me gave at her words. It was almost physical, like a crack behind my ribs.

And I knew then. I’d do everything to be worthy of her trust.

Chapter 12

Zoe

We’d traveled for four hours, according to Vodyan’s watch, and my muscles hurt from holding on. But the pain was bittersweet, because finally, I got my fill of touching him, and it was amazing.

I just wished I could do that without the suit. Skin on skin in this position would have been amazing, and my imagination went rampant, trying to visualize how he’d feel against my bare…

I coughed, my face flaming with heat. Bad Zoe.

At least I was done pretending. I had the hots for my bodyguard, and there was nothing I could do about it as long as we were stuck together. That was my nature. Once someone caught my eye, I latched on. I became clingy, touchy-feely, and overly affectionate.

It was a huge problem in my dating life. Most of my previous partners didn’t have as huge physical needs as I did, and that included sex. I loved sex, but only with the right person. I had to get to know them and develop feelings first, but once I did, I was game to fuck multiple times a day for months. Shockingly, none of my previous boyfriends could keep up.

The media lied to me. Men weren’t even half as horny as I’d been led to believe.

But I loved all forms of touch. Cuddling, holding hands, brushing their hair or having my hair brushed, massages, small affectionate gestures in public, sitting in their lap, even grooming each other. I’d let my boyfriend in college shave me once, and it was a fantastic experience. The amount of trust involved and the tactile sensations were incredible.

He hadn’t lasted, though. None of them had. Apparently, I was too much to handle.

And Vodyan wouldn’t last, either, because nothing was going to happen between us. It was probably forbidden, anyway, though to be fair, none of the agents had sat me down and explicitly told me not to fuck my bodyguard. If anything happened, I could claim ignorance.

But of course, nothing would. Vodyan was a perfect gentleman, and even now, as he supported my ass with his forearm, it didn’t feel improper. He hadn’t even tried to cop a feel.

I, on the other hand, was dying to grind against him, and it took all my self-control not to. It would have been pervy and disgusting to hump him without his consent, anyway, and so I didn’t.

But God, did I want to.

“Could we maybe stop for a moment?” I asked when my legs began to shake. “I just want to rest for a few minutes.”

He slowed down but didn’t stop. When I pulled my head back to see him, he didn’t even look at me, his face set in a hard expression, eyes forward.

“What’s wrong?”

“I have to deal with something before I let you go,” he said hoarsely, his voice sack glowing with every word.

I couldn’t get over how cute that was. The voice sack, the flappy membranes by his ears, and the way he shimmered when his body was submerged were just absolutely delicious, especially since he wasn’t cute in general. No, he was bulky, strong, and lethal.

My mouth watered. Damn, I was a menace.

---