Page 36 of The Debt

“Darkness? Is that how you see our lives together?”

“No, love.” His expression became closed off. “It was a reference to the darkness of night.”

Tatiana sighed at his response. Sometimes, she caught him watching her with an intensity that made her shiver, as if he was memorizing every detail of her face. Was it love she saw in those moments or something else entirely?

How much of himself did he keep locked away from me? Will he ever trust me enough to let me in? I wonder if he’ll ever admit he loves me.

Reading what he was feeling was nearly impossible. She had to bide her time.

As the saying goes, all good things come to those who wait.

She forced a smile. “How long will you be gone?”

He cupped her cheek to brush away a tear she hadn’t realized had fallen. The tenderness was back in his eyes and chased away the shadows her mind had conjured up.

“I have a business to run, love. There are certain aspects I need to stay on top of, which I can’t do from a distance. I can’t stay here indefinitely, no matter how much I don’t want to leave.” He smiled gently. “But I will be back for short visits. There’s no way I’d be able to stay away for too long.”

“And what if we eventually get married? How are we going to overcome the distance?”

“Let’s not worry about that now. Time is precious, and I’m not going to spend the little we have left before I leave on what-ifs.” His lips silenced further discussion as he kissed her passionately.

She wished there were more of those little snippets when he lowered his guard and showed her the man behind the carefully controlled exterior. Those were the moments that made her fall deeper in love with him.

But even as he made love to her, she wondered if she would ever truly know all of him.

Chapter Sixteen

Jarek

The Pearl Icon, Sheraton Atlanta Hotel, Courtland Street, Atlanta…

The entertainment room buzzed with activity. Jarek and Tatiana stood at the bar. Their drinks were still untouched. The crowd’s chatter faded into white noise around them.

“Thank you for bringing me here tonight, Master Hades.” Tatiana brushed her hands along the edges of his open leather vest. As always, she carried herself with natural grace. Each gesture spoke of sophisticated poise. “An intense scene the night before you leave is the best goodbye present I could’ve asked for.”

“Ah, little one… we’re not saying goodbye. Remember I told you. We say—”

“See you soon.” Her eyes were hazy as she kissed him tenderly. “You seem thoughtful tonight,” she said as she studied his face.

“I’m memorizing every detail of you.” Jarek smiled as he looked her over with a lewdness that made her giggle. Dressed in a tight royal blue corset and a black miniskirt, she presented sin in every step she took. Her easy intimacy had served his purpose well these past months. She possessed an innate ability to lower barriers, to make people feel safe, and even managed to sway her grandfather to accept him as part of their lives. Of course, he had counted on that.

Unexpected moisture gathered in her eyes. “I’m going to miss you.”

An unfamiliar tightness shifted in Jarek’s chest. His features hardened as he pushed it down with practiced efficiency. Emotion was a liability he couldn’t afford, especially not with Tatiana. She was a means to an end, nothing more. The perfectly positioned chess piece in his game against Polov.

“We still have tonight,” he said in a controlled voice. Every word, every gesture had a purpose this evening. “We both need to connect on a level higher than sensations and lust tonight, love.”

Being intimate with Tatiana had never been a bore. She was a sensual being who loved the way he subtly dominated her in bed outside of the club. “Tonight, we need to reaffirm the emotional connection we have deep in our souls that binds us together. Let’s turn that thread into an unbreakable golden one tonight. I’m going to take you to subspace, and once I achieve Dom space, I’ll be right there with you on that euphoric cloud. We’ll create a memory we can both hold on to until I’m back. It will be intense, but always remember, I will take care of you and will not push you beyond your boundaries.”

“I know you won’t, Master Hades.”

“I reserved a private dungeon room for our scene. This is going to be a very emotional one for us, and I don’t want a crowd watching when we find that level of peace in our minds.”

“I appreciate that more than you realize.”

Jarek’s jaw clenched at the complete trust she offered him. It threatened his carefully maintained distance.

Remember your purpose, Farrel. She’s a tool crafted for vengeance. Nothing more.

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