Page 35 of Stolen Seconds

Was he mad?

Luca moved swiftly, cleaning and bandaging the cut but I was hardly paying attention to his movements. My eyes were glued to his face as he concentrated on my hand.

Yes, he was a parasite who’d latched himself onto me, but he had also come after me and demanded to see where I hurt.

Pressure in my throat simmered, and I blinked away the stupid emotion that wanted to be let out.

It wasn’t about the cut; it was everything it symbolized.

I never knew how badly I’d been deprived of genuine touch; how much I yearned for someone toseeme and carry the weight off my shoulders until this brute walked in here.

I was exhausted, pieces of my soul chipping away since I was a young girl.

Maybe the blame was my father’s or my mother’s, but I wasn’t any better than them. There was blood on my hands and grime on my body that was embedded into my skin.

Luca looked up, and I didn’t even care that he’d caught me gaping at him. His features slowly softened as his eyes trailed my face.

Something sparked in the air, an invisible tie pulling us closer.

He was also scarred.Beautifully scarred.And although his were evident on the surface of his body, he still saw mine. An understanding passed between us that only we knew.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“Oh, cause we’re friends now, are we?”

He rubbed over my bandaged palm with his thumb. “I don’t want to be your friend, Irina.”

“What do you want then?” I asked, not sure if I wanted to hear the answer.

We stared at each other, neither one of us willing to bend first. His caramel eyes flashed intensely as he pressed his body between my legs, the warmth emanating from him seeping into me.

His thumb caressed my hand. “To know what happened tonight.”

“I told you already.” My free hand clutched the side of the countertop. “It was an accident.”

“Bullshit.”

“Excuse me?”

The back and forth swipe of his thumb stopped before he stepped further into me, his hand reaching up to grip my jaw. “I watch you, Irina. So, the next time you get lost in that head of yours, just know that I’m there with you.”

My pulse raced as he seared me with his gaze. He had no idea what he was talking about. Aside from tonight…my stomach dropped. Oh no. The Christmas party. Had he witnessed my episode that night before cornering me?

“I’ll tell Roman you’re in here.”

I held my breath in anticipation when he leaned forward.

Kiss me, you brute. Kiss me until I can’t feel the hollowness inside my chest.

His eyes flitted to my mouth, my own nearly fluttering shut from the intensity of his touch and attention.

“I dare you,” he whispered against my mouth.

Chapter 9

Luca

“Has Viktor left?”

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