Page 16 of Bound By Longing

“Here’s the thing, Mila, if I bring you back to Mikhail, he’ll think it was me who took you all along. I don’t want to get into a war with him.”

“So … you’re saying you won’t help me return home.”

“I’m afraid I can’t help. What I can offer is my protection—but only while you’re here with me. Once you walk out the door to my club, who knows what could happen? That man could easily take you again.”

“Vladimir,” I whisper.

“Exactly. I know you don’t want that.”

“But if you brought me back to Mikhail, I’ll tell him it was Vladimir who took me. You’ll look like a hero.”

He shifts in his seat, but his gaze on me never wavers. “Mikhail is determined to make me out to be the villain. I’m not going to rock the boat. You can leave if you want. But you’ll be putting yourself in danger.”

I know he’s right. Vladimir is outside, probably waiting for me right this moment. I don’t have a car. I don’t have money to pay for a car. I have no way to get home other than on foot, and I know how dangerous this world is. I’m miles away from Vik’s house. It would take me hours, and the cold and dark wouldn’t help.

“So, what am I to do?” I ask.

“Stay here.”

I study Damien with a newfound curiosity. “Why do you want me to stay? Why did you show up at my birthday?”

“The truth?”

I nod. “The truth.”

“Because when I saw you for the first time, I was fascinated by your innocence. It’s tempting. Truly. To have a pure person like you in my life …” He slowly shakes his head. “It’s hard to resist.”

I flush. No man has ever spoken like this to me. Boris was crude. Gleb was all lies. And Vladimir tried to kill me and then sell me.

But the way Damien speaks … it’s like he’s flirting with me. I don’t know what to do with that.

“What would I have to do if I stayed?” I whisper.

“Just sit by me.”

“That’s it?”

He shrugs. “That’s it.”

I may be innocent, but I’m not naïve. Damien wants more than for me to just sit by him.

But I have to take him at his word. I have no one else right now.

So, I make a choice I know will change my life forever.

“Ok,” I say. “I’ll sit with you.”

He smiles, and it makes my stomach flutter. I think I may be in trouble.

Chapter

Four

MILA

Sitting next to Damien, the only thing I can think about is how good he smells. It’s distracting, honestly. I’ve never really given any thought to how a man smelled before.

But then again, I’ve never really found a man I was attracted to. Boris, Gleb, and now Vlad all disgusted me. They wanted to hurt me, take me against my will in some form or another.

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