Page 183 of Cruel Devotion

I leaned forward. “What do you want with me, Moni?”

Chapter twenty-eight

The Crossroads of Desire

Lei

What is she going to say?

“Lei. . .” Moni’s voice trailed off.

I could see her hesitating, weighing her words.

And in that pause, my heart teetered on the edge of insanity.

My pulse hammered in my ears.

The intensity of my feelings for her, feelings I had just begun to understand and articulate, felt like a force unto themselves, a current too strong to resist.

I was standing at the crossroads of vulnerability and obsession and I knew I had to tread carefully.

Whatever she says. . .don't go too far. Stay calm. Give her time.

I watched as she took a deep breath, her lips parting as if to speak.

Then to my surprise, she reached her hand across the table and held mine.

And in her warm touch, I found a semblance of peace.

Yet, Moni gazed at her soup.

Is she nervous? Or does she know that I won't like her answer?

“Lei.” She lowered her voice to a whisper. “I want you to lovemejust as much as I loveyou.”

Her words were a balm, yet they also fanned the flames of my desire.

I yearned to pull her close, to bridge the gap between us with a kiss that would seal our mutual confession.

But I held back.

The tension in the air was palpable, a dance of emotions that both connected and cautioned us.

I could feel the obsessive part of me, lurking just beneath the surface, craving to claim her even more, to make her mine in every conceivable way possible.

But I battled it down for now. . . reminding myself that. . .maybe love, true love, was about respect, about giving as much as taking.

“Moni.” I turned my hand up to hold hers and intertwined our fingers. “I think loving you will be theeasiesttask of this year.”

Her eyes met mine surely the fire in them matched the passion throbbing deep within me.

As we sat there, hands lightly touching, the candlelight flickering around us, a silent vow formed in my heart.

This is going to happen.

Excitement rushed through me.

I could feel the electricity in the air, a current that connected us on a level deeper than words could convey.

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