Page 111 of Dangerous Beginnings

“I promise,” he says, his voice a quiet promise of his own. And in that moment, I know he means it.

I reach for the towel beside me, gently dabbing his face dry.

I finish drying his face, the towel soft against his skin, and as I pull it away, his hand suddenly reaches up, pulling me toward him. Before I can react, I’m in his arms, my body sinking into the water with him. The warmth envelops me instantly, the steam from the bath swirling around us.

For a moment, I’m caught off guard, but then I feel his grip tighten around me, pulling me closer. His breath is steady, though there’s a depth of emotion behind it that I can’t quite place. The water ripples as I settle against him, my legs tangled with his, and his arms wrap around me like a lifeline.

I gently trace my fingers along his cheek, feeling the roughness of his stubble still lingering, the warmth of his skin beneath mytouch. I lean in, pressing a soft kiss to the tip of his nose, my lips lingering for just a moment, savoring the simple intimacy.

His eyes flicker open, and for the briefest second, I catch the faintest glint of a smile playing at the corners of his lips. His dimples deepen, and he lets out a small laugh, the sound soft and unexpectedly light. It’s the best sound I’ve ever heard—a sound that feels like a soft echo in the chaos of everything that’s happened.

Before I can fully register it, he pulls me closer, his lips brushing against mine in a gentle kiss, tender but full of something deeper. The world outside fades away, leaving only the feel of him against me, the soft flicker of warmth surrounding us both.

The kiss deepens, more urgent now, as if we’re trying to pour all the unsaid words, all the emotion we’ve been holding onto, into this one moment. His hands move to my back, pulling me against him as if there’s nothing that could keep us apart. His lips are insistent, but still so tender, as if he’s asking for reassurance, for connection, for something more than just the fleeting touch of a kiss.

And in that moment, it’s only the two of us—lost in the kiss, in the warmth, in the silence that speaks louder than any words could.

Chapter 59

Devil’s Sinner

Isabella

“You’re ruthless,” I mumble as he places a soft kiss on my skin.

“And you’re not as innocent as you look.” He mumbles back.

My heart begins to race. “You’re too handsome to be this evil,” I groan back.

“Appearances can be deceiving Isabella,” his lips brush against my skin. It leaves a trail of fire in its wake, each touch igniting a fervent longing within me. A soft kiss is placed behind my ear before he comes back up, his green to be drowned in.

“I know what you’re doing,” I state while his eyes scan mine before raising one eyebrow.

“And what am I doing?”

“You’re trying to Stockholm syndrome me.”

Aslanov makes the face that makes me think he’d wanted to laugh at my statement, but instead, his face remains untouched. “That’s not a verbsweetheart.”

I roll my eyes at his always so-correct fixations, “I don’t need your grammar advice.”

Our eye contact sears. “You don’t?”

Of course, in this present moment, my mind reminds me of the many reasons I should not fool around with theDevil of Moscow, including but not limited to; abduction, manipulation, drugging, killing my stepfather and friend, and probably a bunch of other people who treat me poorly. The list goes on.

And it is completely sick, insane, dangerous, and wrong. If someone asked me how I envisioned my five-year plan, it sure would not have included a Russian mafia boss. I’m sure he feltthe same, his five-year plan must have been consistent with committing several crimes, not me.

But here we are and I’m falling for him.

“Ty svela menya s’uma. I teper tebye nuzhno razbiratsa s posledstviyami,” his eyes glint at mine, I swallow down the impossible and unrecognizable Russian syllables.

But I know.

It’s the way he pronounced it; the recognition of some words he has taught me during the past week. And a warm honey feeling fills my heart, creeping through my vessels and veins. My mouth is dry, words are meaningless to the feeling inside of me.

His grip slowly tightens again, like I am to slip from his reach anytime. “Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere.” I breathe as my body is filled with pink.

“If you’ll try—” I stop him mid-sentence, rolling my eyes playfully.

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