Page 72 of Thorns of Lust
Like citrus, sandalwood, spice, and heat. Like home. Like love.
I snuggled closer to the source, squeezing every inch of my body to it, using it like a soft blanket. It felt like a solid warmth beneath my cheek.
I yawned, my muscles pulled by a familiar exhaustion. Muscles I never thought I had twinged in protest.
Forcing my eyes open, I latched onto the bare expanse of skin. And for a fraction of a second, my heart lifted. I looked up, but the wrong pair of eyes stared back at me. These were dark, almost black. Unlike Adrian’s green ones.
I had cheated on my husband.
Your husband is dead,my mind mocked. He’ll never come back.
It didn’t make me feel better. It was too soon. I wasn’t ready. Too late. I should have thought about it yesterday. I should feel the nauseating betrayal swell through every fiber of me. Surprisingly, I didn’t.
Have I arrived at the fifth stage of grief? Acceptance, here I come.
“Good morning.” Something was off about him. His voice was hard, matching the expression in his eyes. Here I was congratulating myself, and he’d been staring me down like I had just murdered his puppy.
Wrapping the bedsheet around me, I pulled my knees up to my chest and I eyed him. Maybe he was regretting this.
“Morning,” I muttered.
When he said nothing else, I got out of bed. I pulled the sheet along with me, gripping it to my chest, while pushing my free hand through my tangled hair subconsciously. Adrian always said I slept like I was dead. Sometimes I drooled too. Discreetly, I brushed my fingers over my mouth but thankfully there was no drool on my face.
“You didn’t have to stay the night,” I grumbled, painfully aware of my nipples hardening under his look. My skin flushed with arousal. Apparently my body had a mind of its own. I didn’t want to be attracted to this man, but clearly my body did. “It’s just a hookup.”
It had to be the wrong thing to say because Konstantin's expression turned even darker.
“Refrain from hookups going forward,” he warned, his voice cracking through the air like a whip. The menace in his voice didn’t escape me and something about the way he glared at me made me want to spite him.
“I can do whatever I want,” I hissed.
It didn’t matter that I hadn’t hooked up since college. It was none of his business. The cold contempt that stared at me from those dark, devilish eyes made me regret my bravery. His next words even more so.
“Touch another man and I’ll kill him,” he snapped. “Then I’ll fuck you in his blood, Tatiana.” I stared at him, frowning. I wasn’t sure if he was joking or not. I feared he wasn’t. That comment was wrong on so many levels. Maybe the Pakhan was a psychopath.
“Understood?” he growled.
The simmering anger traveled through the air. My mouth parted and my mind blanked. I couldn’t think of a single thing to say in my comeback. Except, something had to be wrong with him. Or me because my thighs clenched with the thought of him fucking me again. Alas, I could go without blood nearby. That was certainly not my kink.
I stared at his face. It was hard with granite features but beautiful. I actually ached inside to look at him for too long. Something in his eyes shook something deep inside me. Like he could peer into my soul and retrieve every single secret out of me.
But he wouldn’t uncover Adrian’s message. I’d uncover all those secrets on my own terms. If I had to, I’d use this man to help me, but I wouldn’t be his pawn. He’d be mine.
His eyes narrowed and he stalked towards me until there was no distance left between us.
“Do. You. Understand?” His tone, though quiet and soft, sent a dark shiver down to the deepest corner of my soul. My body immediately went on alert, craving him.Again.
I swallowed, then nodded. “Words, Tatiana. I want your words.”
“I don’t have time for other men, so I guess I understand you.” My voice sounds strangely hoarse, breathy even. What was this guy doing to me?
“You’ll never have time for another man again.” The words were soft with a hint of warning and vehemence showing through. “You’ve signed over your pussy and your life to me. Nobody else will ever touch you again.”Jesus Christ!The intensity in his eyes held promises of burning down the world if someone dared to touch me. I couldn’t quite decide if I liked it or not.
“I will ruin you, break you. Then put you back together.” His voice lowered to a dark rasped, but the message was loud and clear. “Only I’m allowed to do that. Nobody else - not if they want to live.”
I sold my soul to the devil and he’d be collecting. For the rest of my life. All for one night of sexual release. How did my life get so fucked up?
I wasn’t a meek woman. There was no room for those in our family. Even Isabella with her nurturing heart was a fighter. You had to be to survive this family and this world. But something about the way Konstantin’s gaze darkened had me choking on my next breath.
