Page 50 of Sinner's Sacrifice

Yvgeny did as she asked, pulling it tighter than he would have expected. Once she stopped him, he continued to go around and around her torso until he reached the end, allowing the wrap to adhere to itself on the left side of her back.

“Done,” he said.

She twisted side to side a bit, then got to her feet. “Yeah, that’s great for right now.”

Yvgeny’s phone rang. He checked it. Baz.

He answered the call. “What?”

“How is she?” Baz’s voice was careful and concerned.

“Bruised ribs, no broken bones. Otherwise, okay.”

“Can you bring her to the police station? The creep is screaming entrapment.”

“How could it be entrapment? The only reason we realized Sam was in trouble was when Mason contacted me about having a suspicious number of security calls at the same time. I asked you and Nika to come to the hotel to discuss Sam’s serial killer theory. None of us had any idea that moron would try to grab her.”

“That’s what we’ve been saying, but Nika’s new lieutenant is a stickler for procedure and process, and the DA won’t press charges if there’s a chance the case will get dismissed.”

“This business of working with the police has so far been nothing more than a time-consuming complication.”

“My thoughts exactly, but we have to play by their rules.”

“Baz at the police station?” Sam asked. “I need to make a statement, don’t I?”

“Unfortunately, yes.”

“I’ll finish getting dressed.”

“Wait,” Yvgeny said. “I would like you to wear a different uniform.”

“I’ll let Nika know you two are coming in,” Baz said and hung up.

Sam was frowning at him. “That black uniform again? I’m not a security guard.”

“I know, but everyone knows you’re a paramedic, so I want you in clothing that’s different.”

“That...” she searched for an appropriate word to describe the man who’d attacked her. “...horrible man is in custody,” she pointed out. “No one else has an axe to grind with me.”

He took a step closer and lowered his voice. “But many people have an axe with me. They might choose to attack you instead.”

“What? Why?”

Is she for real? He’d moved her into his apartment, carried her around all over the city, and had no real ability to say no to her. Was she attempting to be willfully ignorant of his feelings toward her?

Well, he could fix that problem right now.

Yvgeny stepped closer until her breasts brushed his chest. She tried to step back, but the bed was right behind her, keeping her in place. He cupped her face with his right hand and tilted her head up. Then he slowly bent down until only a fraction of an inch separated her lips from his.

He waited, giving her the opportunity to push him away or side-step him, but she did neither, so he kissed her with a gentleness that surprised even him. When he pulled back, her breathing and his were fast and shallow. She stared at his lips before raising her gaze to meet his. Her pupils were wide and her sight slightly unfocused.

He kissed her again, and she kissed him back, opening her mouth to nibble on his bottom lip.

The need to take her mouth, all of her, nearly overpowered him. He focused on her tentative grip on his shoulders to temper his response and pulled back.

“This is why,” he said. “Anyone who sees us together will know that hurting you will hurt me.”

“Yvgeny,” she said carefully. “This is a bad idea.”