Page 16 of Imperfect Desires

“Well, you’re not old enough to be my father.”

Lev’s gaze hardens. “It doesn’t matter.”

Tears burn behind my eyes. “But you kissed me back.”

“That was a mistake.”

“You didn’t stop me.”

Lev’s jaw flexes. His gaze burns into mine. “I’m stopping you now.”

My hands curl into fists. “So that’s it?”

Lev’s gaze remains cold and detached. “Yup, this is it.”

My chest constricts painfully.

Lev steps back. His eyes darken. “Forget it happened,” he says. His voice is low. Final.

“Lev—”

“It meant nothing.”

My throat tightens painfully. Tears sting my eyes as Lev turns toward the door. My breath shudders painfully as I press my face against my folded arms. Tears burn behind my eyes, but I refuse to let them fall.

You’re like a daughter to me.

The words cut deeper than any blade. They echo through my mind, slicing into me with cruel precision. I thought if I kissedhim, he would feel it, too. He would see how much I love him. He would realize that I’m not a child anymore—that I’m a woman.

Instead, he told me I’m like his sister. Like a daughter.

A fucking daughter.

My heart cracks painfully in my chest. I believed I could handle rejection—I thought I could survive if he didn’t feel the same way—but this? This is worse. This isn’t just rejection; it’s humiliation.

But for a brief second—for that one perfect moment—he kissed me back. I know he did. His mouth opened against mine, his hand tightened around my waist, and for a single heartbeat, it felt like he wanted me. But then he shut it down. He shut me down.

I rub the heel of my hand against my chest, trying to steady the frantic pounding of my heart.

Why did he kiss me back if he didn’t want me? Why did it feel so real for a moment if it meant nothing to him?

I bite down hard on my bottom lip, trying to stop the tears from falling. It doesn’t work. A single tear slips down my cheek and lands on my arm.

My chest constricts painfully. I swipe at my tears, forcing my breath to steady. At least in a few days, I’ll leave for London. I’llput some distance between us, and maybe it'll help. But right now, it feels like my heart is being torn apart.

I lift my head, my breath trembling. The faint sound of voices drifts through the house—the low murmur of Viktor and Zasha talking down the hall.

And Lev…

He’s already moving on from that kiss; meanwhile, I’m sitting here, feeling like my heart has just been carved out of my chest.

I curl into myself, hugging my knees tighter. Next week, I’ll leave. I’ll pretend that didn’t happen. But today, I let myself break. I thought rejection would hurt. But I wasn’t prepared for him to look at me like I was a mistake he regretted.

Tears slide silently down my cheeks as I close my eyes. My chest aches with every breath. The worst part is knowing that I will still dream about him. Even now. Even after this. Because I don’t know how to stop wanting him. I should have stayed quiet. Should have let him pass by. Now I’ll never be able to forget the taste of a kiss that shattered me.

6

Lev

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