Page 34 of Taming Mika

I nod, and though I don’t say it, I hope he intends to give me a ride back to my house. After the day’s excitement, I’m not sure my legs will carry me all that way. I’m relieved when he guides me to the SUV we drove in with, his hand on the small of my back. Even that harmless touch sends butterflies fluttering in my stomach, and a wave of uncertainty washes through me. I want him to touch me, but I’m not at all sure I should be anywhere near him. Today’s events have hammered that realization into my head.

Rather than drive me to my modest ranch-style house, the SUV takes the short drive to pull up in front of the luxurious main house, where the Carvers shared a lavish dinner with Alfie before selling their coveted estate. It feels like a lifetime ago now.

“Alfie…” I frown. “I don’t live here,” I explain, confusion lacing my tone.

“Maybe not, but I have extra security stationed here. I want to make sure you’re safe.” He steps out of the vehicle and offers a hand to help me out.

I’m not some damsel in distress. I don’t need the assistance. I’ve been climbing in and out of heavy-duty trucks for the greater part of my life, but it feels good when his fingers close around mine, so I take advantage of the excuse to touch him. Even after I’m on solid ground, Alfie doesn’t let go. Holding my hand, he leads me into the house and through the beautiful entry as he guides me to the massive double doors of the master bedroom. I had assumed he would show me to a guest room and head back to New York City, but he doesn’t seem like he’s in any hurry to get home.

“Are you… not going back to the city?” I ask, following him into the spacious master suite.

A king-size canopy bed sits in the center of the room, with quality dark wood furniture lining the walls. Through an archway, the master bath looks big enough to fit my entire living room inside.

“No, not tonight,” he says softly, turning toward me as the doors swing closed behind us.

My heart skips a beat now that we’re alone. His men stopped to stand guard on the far side of the heavy doors.Why is it that every time a door closes me in alone with Alfie, the air suddenly feels electric?I turn to face him and find a smoldering fire in his hazel eyes. My breath catches as the oxygen suddenly evaporates, and the space between us vanishes.

“Alfie, wait,” I murmur, pressing a palm against his firm chest.

I’m mildly surprised when he does, pausing as he studies my face carefully. Then he releases a heavy sigh. “You don’t need to be scared of me, Mika,” he promises. “I won’t hurt you.”

His voice is pained, and my heart twists at the hint of vulnerability in it.

“I’m not—It’s not that. I know you wouldn’t,” I say, and I’m surprised to find I mean it. Still, the thought of being with Alfiedoesscare me, especially after today. “But like you said, Nikolai would—and he’s coming after me to get back at you. I don’t want to be something he just ‘takes care of’ so you’ll marry his daughter.” Unexpected tears sting the back of my eyes as it hits me then, just how close I came to dying. If Fate hadn’t been so resistant to load—and if Alfie hadn’t chosen to trust her instincts—I would definitely have been in the cab of that truck when it exploded. I don’t want to die like that, to have a meaningless death because some man set his sights on me, because Alfie Bonetticlaimedme.

Just thinking that makes my gut twist because Alfie’s not just “some man” in my life. He’s very close to meaning something real to me—but I don’t want to let myself fall for him if it’s just going to get me killed.

Alfie’s expression intensifies, his eyebrows pressing together with conviction. Slowly, he lifts his hand to capture my chin between his fingers, his gaze intent as he leans closer. “I won’t let anything happen to you, Mika,” he murmurs. “Never again. I can protect you. Iwillprotect you.”

Heat blossoms in my core, and a shiver runs down my spine. Itwas a far closer call than I would have liked, but I want to believe Alfie when he says he won’t let anything happen to me. As dangerous as the world seems to think he is, when I’m with Alfie, I feel safe.

I just don’t know that I’m cut out for the kind of violence that comes with his world.

“Okay,” I breathe, uncertainty settling into my stomach.

He pulls me firmly against his body, one hand splaying across my spine as his other hand combs back into my tangle of curls. My heart skips a beat, and I sigh as his lips find mine with such tenderness it makes my pulse quicken.

“You’re trembling,” he rasps, his arm tightening protectively around me.

“I’m fine,” I insist for what feels like the hundredth time today. Regardless of my lingering questions—whether I should leave while I still have the chance, if I’m being stupid for associating with someone like Alfie—it feels too good to have his arms wrapped around me to make any decisions about it tonight. Right now, all I want to do is prove that I’m still alive. Tomorrow, I can think about whether I would be better off leaving before I lose my life. Sliding my hands up his muscular chest, I wrap my arms around the back of his neck.

As he leans in to kiss me, it feels like his concern might be warring with his desire. Alfie slowly starts to walk me backward toward the bathroom, his movements careful—gentle even—as he holds me against his strong, firm body. The intensity in his eyes still makes my stomach tremble, but as he takes control, it’s not with the same kind of aggressive passion as he had at the racetrack. He feels like he thinks I’m breakable, but I’m not—and while his slow, tender kisses make my lips tingle, right now, I want to feel alive again.

As we reach the bathroom tiles, Alfie pauses, breaking the gentle kiss without letting me go so he can turn on the shower. Warm water springs from the rainshower head, steam rising only seconds later from the Carvers’ top-of-the-line instant hot water heaters. I’ve never known luxury like that before—like a normal human, I have to wait for the hot water to come on. But today, I can really appreciate the perk when my skin feels rather icy beneath my thin shirt.

“Do I smell that bad?” I tease because I don’t want to admit that Alfie knew what I needed even before I did. If I acknowledge that, then I might start to rely on him, and I’m not sure I want to stay beyond tonight.

He chuckles, his eyes shifting from my face as he hooks a finger around the band, holding my hair back. “No.” Alfie tugs, releasing my curls to topple out of my messy bun, and his eyes ignite with anticipation as my hair falls wildly around my face, tickling my shoulders. “But you might still be in shock. I want to bring your body temperature up to help with your shaking. If that doesn’t work, I’m going to call a doctor.”

Everything he says is a command, and while my natural instinct is to push back against his overconfident assumption of authority—even over my health—my heart flutters because he’s showing genuine concern for me. He’s been astonishingly attentive since Nikolai blew up my truck, and I don’t know what to make of it. I witnessed a softer side of him today with Nina, and I’m still reeling over just how compassionate Alfie can be. Clearly, he loves his sister, and that, combined with his decision to call off his wedding over me, makes me wonder just how deep his emotions could run beneath his arrogance. Since I nearly collapsed at Saratoga, he’s been protective in a way that could almost convince me he could keep me safe. But that instinct to shield me also has a possessive edge—I could see it in the way he handled Joel—and I’m not sure how I feel about that just yet. I like my independence, but I can’t deny it turns me on—more than I knew it could. My stomach tightens just thinking about the way he tied me up, and my cheeks warm, chasing away the frigid ice beneath my skin.

“I’ll never object to a hot shower,” I say playfully, hoping to put Alfie at ease because I don’t need a doctor, but my voice dips almost suggestively, my tone reflecting my unspoken thoughts.

Alfie’s dark chuckle sends crackling anticipation across my skin, and his hands slide down the curve of my waist until he’s palming my ass. “Good girl,” he growls, and he captures my lips in a fiery kiss.

The praise makes my skin burn with indignation—I’m not ananimal in need of training—and at the same time, unexpected excitement curls in my stomach because he’s kissing me with the same searing heat as he did before he tied me up and made me come harder than I have in my life.

Alfie guides my long-sleeved shirt over my shoulders, undressing me himself this time as he refuses to take his hands off me. My fingers tremble as I do the same, clumsily working the buttons open on his dress shirt. It isn’t hard to notice the difference in his deft movements as he strips me naked in a matter of moments, while I barely manage to finish undoing his shirt. But when it falls open, revealing his body for the first time, my mouth goes dry.

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