Page 45 of Inked Athena

“Where the hell are you taking me?”

I don’t answer. It’s nice to lead Samuil around blindly for a change. God knows he’s done it to me enough over the last few months.

We take another set of stairs out of the room, which Samuil mounts with more grumbled complaints. But then we step through another door and out onto the top of the turret.

For the first time in days, the rain has stopped. Like it knew we were coming. Like it knew how bad I needed this.

Instead of a hazy mist, the skies are clear. The loch is bright, mirroring the dense smattering of stars in the sky.

I take a deep breath of the damp air and sigh. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”

His mouth is warm on my cheek. “It’s a long way down. I don’t want you out here by yourself.”

“Sam—” I turn to him, pressing my hands to his chest. “I’m not afraid to be up here. Actually, this castle is one of the few places I’ve ever felt completely safe.”

“For a woman who claims she’s never left Chicago, you sure have a penchant for feeling at home in exotic places.”

I can’t help but grin. “Maybe I’m more adventurous than I gave myself credit for. You taught me that. And, I suppose… knowing my brothers and father are gone now makes it easier to embrace the parts of myself I was afraid of.”

He moves closer, his hand finding my waist. “You don’t have to be afraid at all,krasavitsa. I’m right here. I’ll take care of you.”

“I know that, Sam. I do. But—” I blow out a breath, trying to decide how to say this. “I don’t just want you to take care of me. I don’t want to be another responsibility on your long to-do list. I want to feel like I’m included in your life. I want to make decisions.”

He looks around, something between a grimace and a smile dancing on his lips. “And your first decision is to make me hike up ten flights of stairs every time I want to take you to bed?”

“It’ll be good for your heart.”

“You’regood for my heart,” he fires back. He grips my chin and brings my mouth to his in a kiss hot enough I can almost forget I’m wearing lingerie on a windy castle top. He pulls back. “You’re sure about this? You want to sleep up here?”

I step closer, bending my body into the hard lines of his. “Right now, I don’t want to sleep. Not even a little bit.”

His hand fists in my nightie. “Then what do you want?”

I stretch onto my toes, my lips brushing against his in a whisper. “I want to fix up that boat.”

“What else?” He holds me closer, almost crushing me against him. What I really want is narrowing down to where he’s hard and hot against my stomach.

“I want you to go on a walk with me,” I add, pressing my luck. “Every day.”

“Nova...” Warning and want tangle in my name.

“And you,” I pant. “I want you.”

“That’s better.” All at once, he scoops me into his arms and carries me down the stairs. He tosses me onto our bed, crawling over me with heat in his eyes.

It really does feel like another world up here in this turret. I almost can’t believe it’s real.

“Are you mine?” I whisper, more to myself than Sam.

He kisses his way up my body. “I’m yours, Nova Pierce. It’s all yours. Anything you want.”

17

SAMUIL

Rain hammers the windows of my London office like artillery fire. Each drop is another fucking reminder that I’m trapped in this concrete hellhole while Nova’s alone at the castle.

My jaw clenches hard enough to crack teeth. I yank the curtains mostly closed and London disappears from sight—I can’t even look at this godforsaken city without wanting to set it on fire just to be back with her.

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