Page 56 of Crave

The way she grins not only explodes my heart, but tells me everything I need to know.

“For eternity.” Taking her lips, I tug her closer and lose myself to her.

“You need to get some sleep, Lara,” I tell her. And I need to speak to Mikhail. He will knock some sense into me.

Or at least take me skydiving so I can think.

The way everything is battling in my brain, it’s a struggle. I have to do right by Lara.

“I’ll stay,” I reassure her as she snuggles up on the pillow and I hold her close.

I don’t want to let go.

I let out a sign and rest my head against the headboard.

“Are my brothers downstairs?” she whispers.

I swallow the lump in my throat. Not only did I fail Lara, they saved me all those years ago and now I’m kissing their sister.

They might hate me for this. I could never regret anything with Lara, and how can something that feels so damn good be wrong?

CHAPTER 24

LARA

Song- Mistake NF

I can hearhis thoughts ticking. Even as he holds me close, I can feel the shift.

He lets out a long exhale. “Yeah, they are waiting for me.”

Silence fills the room. Is he pulling away because he’s scared of what they might say? Or because he regrets crossing a line with me?

I’m not good enough for him either. That kiss wasn’t what he imagined it would be. I bet he gets any beautiful woman he wants.

“Don’t you dare.” I try to hide the tremble in my voice as I turn away from him. He might know me better than I know myself sometimes, but it works both ways.

“Dare what?” He responds quietly, very unlike the usual Alexei.

I swallow past the lump in my throat, the butterflies swarming in my stomach. I can still feel his lips on mine.

If it was wrong, why did it feel so right? Perfect even.

“Call that a mistake,” I answer honestly.

What I really mean is me.

The damage of never being good enough has broken me over the years, but none of that compares to the pain I’d feel if I were rejected by Alexei.

A life without him?

Impossible.

The second he walks into my space my world goes silent, in the best possible way. The doubt, the self loathing, the pain. It all dissipates, and my mind and body are at peace.

Alexei is the calm I crave in the mayhem of my mind.

I turn to face him, wanting to get a read of his face.

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