Page 109 of Twilight Tears
He pulls my hands to his lips, kissing my knuckles. It’s tender, but it isn’t enough. I stretch onto my toes and kiss him. My bump makes things awkward, so Yakov picks me up and places me on the edge of one of the bookshelves.
I circle my arms around his neck. I fall into his soft lips and the feeling of his hands on my body. Without meaning to, I arch against him, spreading my legs and pulling him in closer. He’s hard against my inner thigh and every other thought and worry flies out of my head. The same way it always does when I’m with Yakov. Nothing else beyond this moment exists.
I swirl my tongue into his mouth and moan. Yakov’s hands tighten on my hips. He digs his fingers into me like he wants to tear me apart.
Then, slowly, he pulls away.
“Luna,” he growls, a warning in his tone. His hands slide to the outside of my legs and he pushes them closed. “We can’t do this now.”
“What?” I pout, breathless. “Why not?”
His eyes fall to my chest and I know he can see my pointed nipples through my thin dress. I’m sure he can smell the arousal on me. My skin is flushed. It was just a kiss, but I feel drunk.
He leans forward and scrapes his teeth over my neck, finding my ear. “Because my mother is sitting in the room next door.”
Shit. I forgot again.
I shake my head. “We can be quiet.”
“I don’t care if they hear us, Luna. You sound so pretty when you’re screaming my name. Let them hear.” His tongue flicks over his bottom lip as he stares down at me. “The problem is, I don’t want to be interrupted. I’m going to need hours before I’m ready to let you go and we don’t have that kind of time.”
“Oh,” I squeak. My body is on literal fire. “If you’re trying to talk me down, you’re doing a bad job.”
He smirks. “I also think you should meet my mother while you can still walk in a straight line.”
Heat pounds between my legs, but my head clears slightly. I step back, straightening my dress and tucking my hair behind my ears. “Do I look okay?”
“Good enough to eat.” Yakov grabs my hand and pulls me against his chest again. “The first of many things I plan to do to you later.”
My face flushes and I have to force myself to back away from him. “Is there anything I should know?”
“You should know that, as my future wife, you are more powerful than anyone else in that room. What they think of you doesn’t matter. They should be trying to impress you.”
“That’s nice, but it isn’t going to help me in there. It’s your mother, Yakov. Of course I want to impress her.”
He sighs. “Then tell her how much you love your engagement ring. It’s a family heirloom and she’s precious about it. That should do the trick.”
Yakov grabs my hands and leads me to the sitting room next door.
A hospital bed takes up half of the room and I’m relieved to see that Nik is in the room alone. Then I actually see Nik and my relief evaporates.
His face is so gaunt compared to the last time I saw him. He’s lost so much weight. He’s tucked underneath a blanket, his hands folded in his lap. From the moment I met Nik, he took up so much space. He was always laughing and bouncing from foot to foot like he couldn’t contain the energy buzzing inside of him. It’s strange to see him so still. So small.
Then he turns around and the same old wide smile splits his face. “Holy shit, Luna. You’ve really let yourself go.”
Just like that, he’s the same old Nik.
Yakov flicks him in the back of the head as I slap his shoulder. “You try growing two babies and see what you look like,” I snap at him playfully.
“I wouldn’t look nearly as graceful as you,” he says. “You look gorgeous.”
Yakov flicks him again.
“Ouch!” He rubs the back of his head. “That one was a compliment!”
“How about you don’t look at her, just to be safe?” Yakov warns.
I stand next to Nik’s bed. “How are you doing?”