Page 21 of Ruthless Bratva King

She snorts. “Please. You’ve been biting your lip so much I’m surprised it’s still attached. You came back from the library early and disappeared into the bathroom for about a week. Something’s up. Spill.”

I can’t tell her what I was doing. Nothing about my behavior would make sense to her. It barely makes sense tome.

Every word Dmitri said got my body tingling. The walk back was torture, my swollen clit chafing on the seam of my jeans, andbut he time I made it to Veronica’s, I was going out of my mind. I had to do something about it.

That something involved the locked bathroom door, stripping off, and then applying the shower head to my clit, keeping my mouth covered so I didn’t moan too loudly when I came. Which took about thirty seconds.

The whole time, I was picturing him naked, taking my virginity, coming deep inside me.

“Earth to Elena?”

“Sorry,” I reply, forcing my thoughts back to the present. “Dmitri found me in the library.”

Her dark eyes narrow. “Him again? Did you let him take you up Pompeii?”

“No.” I exhale a sigh, setting the knife down. “Not for a lack of trying on his part, though.”

Veronica stops stirring and turns to face me, her jaw slack with shock. “You’re shitting me. What happened?”

I glance at her, debating whether I should keep this to myself, but the words tumble out before I can stop them.

“He said he wanted to fuck me.”

Her laugh is loud and unapologetic. “Oh, honey. I told you.” A sly smile creeps onto her face. “So basically, a hot-as-hell man wants to aggressively relieve you of your virginity, and you’re losing your mind because you don’t know what to do about it. You can borrow one of my vibrators if you like.”

“That’s not what I said!”

“It’s what you meant.” She raises her eyebrows at me. “Look, I get it. You’ve had a rough time. You’ve got all this family drama weighing you down. But maybe you should let him do it.”

I shake my head. “He’s notnormal, Veronica. I doubt he does relationships, and I’m not sure he’s capable of anything resembling feelings. I bet he’s slept with hundreds of women too. Do I want someone like that to be my first?”

“It’s perfect.”

I gape at her. “What?”

She shrugs, as if this is the most obvious thing in the world. “Think about it. You’ve never had a real relationship because you’ve always thought you’d end up getting hurt, right?”

“I never said that.”

“No, but it’s true though, isn’t it?”

“That’s not the point.”

“Think about it. No strings, no emotional risk. Just fun with someone who knows exactly what they’re doing.”

I can’t help but laugh, though the idea sends a flicker of nervous energy through me. “You’re unbelievable.”

She whistles low. “Girl, it’s time. Sounds like he’s the perfect candidate to pop your cherry.”

“Veronica!” I hiss, glancing toward the open window as if someone might overhear.

She smirks. “What? I’m just saying. Why not? If he was gonna hurt you, he’d have done it, and it’s obvious what’s stopping him. You clearly want him, and from the sound of it, he definitely wants you. What’s stoppingyou?”

The answer sits heavy in my chest, but I don’t say it out loud.

Fear. Doubt. The belief that if I let myself get too close, he’ll let me down like everyone does.

“He might kill me when he’s had his way,” I reply.

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