Page 119 of The Harbinger

The shower head swung against the wall with a hollow bang, the water splashing against my backside.

“Oh no,milaya.” He cupped my cheeks, forcing me to look up at him. “Just the opposite.”

“Then why did you do that?”

“Do what?” His dark eyes bounced back and forth as he dipped his head down. “Take care of you?”

I nodded, his palms bunching my cheeks as he swiped his thumb across my lower lids.

“Did I not make a vow?” His lips pressed to mine, my tongue swirling to meet his as my heart thundered in my chest, my stomach swirled with reawakened appetites.

I wrapped my arms around his neck, drawing myself closer, the feel of his hard body against mine, tranquility I sought.

Sacha yanked on my hair, his fist buried deep in my tangles, ripping our lips apart. “Don’t start something you won’t want to finish.”

I wanted to finish it. The deepest part inside of me begged to make him happy, to stay on his good side so he would forever hold me in his embrace. I wanted him to take away the itch inside of me, to hear his praise for me on his lips.

“But I—”

“Back to bed, Mia.” He pointed to the bedroom, and my shoulders sagged.

I hung my head with disappointment as I’d looked forward to the distraction of the hellish encounter and skirted around him, snatching the towel off the hook before I wrapped it around me.

He stayed in the shower, and I shuffled carefully into the bedroom. A disgruntled growl shot about the falling water, followed by a thump against the tiled wall. With the towel wrapped around my damp hair, I slid into the sheets and curled into a ball with a smile.

Chapter 28

Mia

“Let’sgo,”Katyasaidas I stared at the bookshelf. “You’ve moped enough the last few days.”

Burying a soggy dead kitten that I’d rescued only the day before, coupled with the slight withdrawal I told them was grief, and a stomach bug, had me sitting around staring at all the books I wished I could read.

“Go where?” I tore my gaze away from the black book and sipped the tea I’d grown accustomed to.

“The grocer. Francesco needs some goods.”

I shook my head and scoffed. “Sacha wouldn’t like that.”

Katya took the teacup from my hand and placed it on the side table. “Come on. I won’t take no for an answer.”

“Will you take my punishment when he finds out?”

“We won’t be long.”

I shook my head. It would be nice to go back into the city and feel a sense of normalcy. But the risk didn’t seem worth the reward.

“It’s not a good idea.”

“Mia. He’s been working long hours, and it’s not like we’re going to a bad part of town. It’s a small store.”

I sighed, my shoulders sagging as she tugged on my hand with a smile. “Okay, but we can’t be gone long. And if he finds out, I’m throwing you under the bus and telling him you kidnapped me.”

She pulled me to my feet and tossed me a pair of sneakers and socks to accompany my jeans and long sleeve. “Deal.”

I slipped them over my feet, and we walked down the stairs together, with Ivan standing in the foyer.

And suddenly, this outing was no longer tempting.