Page 19 of Triplet Babies
“Why did you really hire me for this position? Don’t say it’s because I handled the irrigation problem well. There has to be more to it than that.”
He’s quiet for a long moment, studying me in the firelight. When he speaks, his voice is quiet. “When I look at you, I don’t see someone who wants something from me. You look at me like I’m just a man, not a name or a fortune or a steppingstone to something else.”
I’m perplexed and frown. “You are just a man.”
Another smile appears before fading. “No, I’m not. I haven’t been just a man for a very long time.”
I arch a brow. “Then what are you?”
“I’m a position, a responsibility, and a set of obligations and expectations that never end.” He pauses. “However, when I’m with you, I remember what it felt like to be a person instead of just a role.”
The admission makes my chest tight with emotions I don’t want to name. “Yarik, you’re engaged to someone else.”
“Yes, I am.”
I nibble on my lower lips. “And I work for you.”
“Yes, you do.”
“So this conversation probably shouldn’t be happening.” I sigh as I say that, knowing it needs to be said but wishing we could just lose ourselves in this moment.
“Probably not.”
Despite his agreement, neither of us moves to end it. Instead, he reaches out and touches my hand where it rests on the towel. His fingers are warm and sure, and I don’t pull away. His voice is quiet, almost hesitant. “Sarah?”
“Yes?”
“I want to kiss you.”
The words send heat shooting through me, and for a moment I can’t breathe. “That’s a bad idea.”
He immediately agrees. “Terrible idea.”
“It would complicate everything.” Rather than sounding strong, my voice is almost enticing.
He huffs lightly in something that might pass for a brief, harsh laugh. “Everything is already complicated.”
I look into his eyes and see the same want and confusion I’m feeling. This is madness, but something about this moment feels inevitable. I hear myself say, “Just once?” The voice of reason is screaming at the back of my mind, but I can barely hear it.
He leans toward me slowly, giving me time to change my mind or pull away. “Just once.”
I don’t do either. Instead, I meet him halfway, and when his lips touch mine, the rest of the world disappears. The kiss starts tentatively but quickly deepens into something hungrier. He tastes like coffee and something darker, and when he cups the back of my neck, I make a sound that’s part sigh and part surrender.
This is what I’ve been trying not to think about since the moment he caught me falling by the pool. There’s no denying the attraction between us, and I’m letting go of all pretenses in the moment.
He rests his other hand on my waist through the towel, and I lean into him, forgetting every reason this is a mistake. The kiss becomes more urgent and demanding, making me respond without thinking about consequences or complications.
When he breaks away to trail kisses along my jaw and down my neck, I arch into him, fisting my hands in his shirt. Everything about this feels right despite being completely wrong.
“Sarah.” My name sounds different when he says it like that, all rough and full of wanting.
“I know, Yarik.”
“This is—” He trails off to kiss my neck again.
“Crazy. Impossible. A terrible idea.” I pull back to look at him, noting the way his careful composure has completely shattered. “All of the above.”
“Yes.” He’s already leaning in to kiss me again, and I’m already tilting my face up to meet him. This time, the kiss is deeper and more desperate. I’m starting to lose the ability to think clearly.
