Page 14 of Pregnant Prisoner By the Bratva
“Like a travel agent?” I asked.
“More like…uhh…solving a puzzle.” Then came that signature smirk of his.
I paused, watching him closely. “Well, that’s not vague at all. For all I know, you could be a criminal or an Uber driver.”
Yulian laughed, his eyes crinkling again. “You’d be surprised just how close those two professions are.”
I leaned back in my chair, my eyes still snagged on his. He was holding back—I could tell. Logistics? Please. But then again, I wasn’t going to pry because it wasn’t like I was an open book myself.
Clearly, we were two people attracted to each other but unwilling to open up. It was too early anyway. Besides, it was just a date. Nothing more.
As the night unfolded, we talked more about random stuff and less about our private lives. Just shallow details to mask the sexual tension hovering around us. It was a lovely night, and I honestly had a swell time.
We ate. Laughed. Drank.
He didn’t strike me as the fun type at first, but tonight, he proved he wasn’t as boring and grumpy as I thought.
Later, he walked me back to my place, our footsteps clicking against the pavement. The streets were quiet at this time of night, the lamps casting long shadows along the sidewalks. In the distance, a dog barked incessantly, the gentle breeze dancing through the empty avenue.
Bathed in the moon’s silver glow, we walked side by side, our pace slow, unhurried, like neither of us wanted the night to end. We didn’t say much, just moved with the flow, our arms brushing now and then.
I felt safe with him around—not that anything or anyone in these streets could ever spook me.
When we reached my building, I stopped at the steps. And it wasn’t until now that I realized we’d been holding hands this entire time. I pushed my hair behind my ear, my head jerking to look at him. “This was nice.” I wasn’t sure why the words came out more like a secret than a statement.
His lips curled into a soft grin, hands buried in the pockets of his trench coat.
“It was,” he replied, his voice low and husky, eyes locked to mine.
I sensed his hesitation; he wasn’t ready to leave just yet. The tension returned, now even stronger than before, and Icould feel my pulse quickening. Neither of us looked away, our expressions softening by the minute.
For a moment there, I really thought he was going to kiss me. And honestly, a part of me wanted him to. His eyes were dark with longing, and the desire etched on his face couldn’t be any more obvious.
Let him in, a voice whispered in my head, ignoring the part of my brain that knew how wrong this was. He was a complete stranger, and a dangerous one. As such, I shouldn’t even be considering letting him into my home.
If he was as terrible as I thought, why did I feel so safe around him, and why did every fiber of my being crave him?
“So, this is it, yeah?” He broke that deafening silence, his voice smooth and charming. “This is goodbye?”
I blinked, my heart pounding in my chest. I didn’t want it to be like this—at least, not now. But the fight inside me was real. One part of me wanted him so badly, while the other was completely against the idea. I was caught between the devil and the deep blue sea, unsure of what to do next.
Yulian was mostly unreadable. But for some reason, he struck me as a man who was here on business and would leave soon. Maybe that was why he asked if this was goodbye.
If he were from around here,goodnightwould’ve made more sense. It would have implied that we’d run into each other again. However, seeing how deliberate he was about everything, it was safe to say his choice of vocabulary wasn’t a mistake. The man knew exactly what he meant.
This might be his last night here. At least, that was the impression he gave.
Don’t. Don’t do it, the other voice warned against the words about to jump out of my mouth.
I had only one shot at this—to act on impulse, to be reckless with my feelings for once. I’d closed myself off for along time, built a wall around my emotions, and tried to stay as detached from people as I could.
But this was different. It was the one time I got to fool around with a stranger I genuinely was attracted to. I hadn’t wanted someone so intensely before—especially not after one date. Yet, here I was, craving the very man I couldn’t read—the one I couldn’t figure out.
“Hey, do you, uh…” I began, my voice trailing off as I held his gaze, reveling in the hunger dancing in his eyes. “Do you wanna come inside?” My head tilted slightly toward the entrance.
His lips twisted into a small smile, as if he were relieved that I asked. “I’d love that,” he said without taking his eyes off me.
I blinked, struggling to slow down my racing heart as I held his hand and led him into my apartment.
