Page 41 of Bound By Longing

“I’m Dimitri.” He holds out his hand, and Damien slowly takes it.

“Dimitri. Never heard of you before. You know Mila?”

“Well, we’re on a date.” Dimitri places his arm around my shoulders and draws me closer to him. For some reason, I want to cringe.

“A date?” Damien whistles. “You don’t waste any time, do you, Mila?”

“How do you two know each other?” Dimitri asks.

“We’ve met before,” I explain. “I’ve only known Damien for a couple of days.”

Dimitri’s hand tightens on my arm. “Oh? Is that so?”

“Yep. But we should get going. It’s cold out here.” I shiver in my jacket.

“Right.” Dimitri eyes Damien over for a moment before turning away. I resist the urge to look back at Damien, even though I can feel him watching me the entire time.

DAMIEN

She’s on a date. A fucking date.

All because I let her go. It was the right thing to do. I’m not a man who kidnaps women.

But it hurts seeing her walk with another man. I know this was Mikhail’s doing. He wants Mila safe and protected from all the dangers of this world.

Including me.

I let Mila go because she was a fun amusement for a while, but I’m not looking for anything serious.

So, then, why does it bother me so fucking much seeing her on a date with another man?

I realize now: I want Mila for myself.

I’m just not sure how I’m going to get her.

MILA

Dimitri opens the car door for me. “Sorry our date didn’t go well.”

“It’s ok. I thought it went well.”

“Then you’re a liar.”

I blink and stand beside the door, not wanting to get into the car. “I’m not a liar, Dimitri.”

“Who was that man, and how did you know him?”

“Damien? He means nothing to me.”

“That’s not what I asked.”

I open my mouth, but no sound comes out. “Um …”

Everything happens so fast.

A car pulls up next to us, and a man jumps out of the backseat. A man I recognize. A man who kidnapped me once before.

It’s Lev, Damien’s rival.

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