Page 116 of Breaking Away

I’m smiling into his shoulder. “Um. Again?”

“You take soulful photographs, Princess.”

Iwantto believe it’s true. So badly. I’m all flushed now.

I kiss his cheek, full of reckless wonder and disbelief. He turns his head. Now it’s lips against lips. A clumsy brush and yet the most guttural noise escapes Dmitri. Both palms trap my face, and his tongue drives along the seam of my lips. I instantly give in, shuddering so much that our lips part for a second. Too long for him, for now his mouth kisses along my chin. Neck. Clavicle. I’m gasping-moaning-crying out, fingers digging into his shoulders. My face tilts back, giving him more access.More, more, more…

I’ve never been consumed like this. It’s desperate and skilled, awakening something inside me I didn’t know existed. A starvation rears its head as I take hold of his hair and grip.

All I know is the pressure of his hard warmth against me, the shifting of some tectonic plates inside me, and how I need this to last. Every noise Dmitri makes brands me. I’m about to climb on to his lap because for me the world has ended?—

Except it hasn’t.

My phone drops on the floor, the thudding noise sounding like a loud crack to our ears. We jerk apart and Dmitri swears, his eyes the darkest I’ve ever seen them. He’s breathing heavily, brokenly.

“Fuck.”

“Fuck.”

We say it together, staring at each other.

I bend down to pick up my phone. And then we talk at the same time. For some reason we’re both apologizing to each other, and there’s a mumble about nothing changing, a continuation from this morning obviously when I said I wanted things between us to stay exactly the same despite the fact that he’s seen my naked pussy and watched me get off last night. Dmitri says something about respecting me, and then I say I respect him, even though neither of us feels disrespected from what I can tell. No, we blame some artistic excitement for everything.

“The comments prove it,” says Dmitri, subtly adjusting his pants. “How great your work is.”

My brain is more feverish than logical right now. I pull up the social media comments again, latching onto this new conversation. “Yeah.”

My eyes scroll through them…

I realize the Wings social media account tagged my personal account, specifically giving me photo credit. And?—

Someone has noticed the link, how it was me at their game, taking these photos.

There’s a message waiting for me in my inbox.

TYLER:

YOU ARE WITH FUCKING LOKHOV??????

It’s him.

Tyler.

He’s found out where I am.

46

DMITRI

My arm stopsher from passing me in the kitchen. I have her by the waist. Maybe my approach should be softer, but I need to know. “What’s wrong?”

She wouldn’t tell me what was wrong last night. And now it’s morning.

Kavi shakes her head.

“I’ll fix it.”Point me in the direction. Set me loose. Tell me what to do.

“Nothing for you to fix, I promise,” she whispers, before pulling away. “Just—I have to go. Read an email.”

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