Chapter 20
CHAPTER TWENTY
LYLA VOZNESENSKY
“How was your day today, my love?” I asked, picking up my glass of wine.
Lukyan sat at the other end of the table, knife and fork in hand, eating his dinner. It had been a few days since the incident in town, and things between us had been slowly progressing.
I’ll admit, I wished they were moving a little faster than they were.
The longer it took for our relationship to strengthen, the more time his family had to find him.
Although I had covered my tracks exceptionally well, there was always a small, minute chance that they could find us before I had the chance to cement Lukyan’s love for me.
But I didn’t want to rush him. He had to get there on his own.
See for himself how perfect we were for each other.
He was dressed in one of the outfits I’d picked out and placed in his room for him.
A white, long-sleeved button-down shirt and fitting dark pants.
He was barefoot, with the first few buttons of his shirt undone to reveal the wide expanse of his chest. How one man could look so good in a plain white shirt was fucking beyond me.
His hair was up in a bun, a few loose strands cascading around his face. I liked that look on him. It was one of my favorites.
I placed my wine glass back down and picked up my fork. Lukyan still hadn’t answered my question, and I was trying not to push him. He was just staring at me, his eyes sweeping over my face, my body, searing my fucking insides.
“Penny for your thoughts?” I asked, instead of repeating my earlier question.
“You don’t want to know what I’m thinking,” he said roughly.
“Yes, I do! I always want to know what you’re thinking.
” The smile on my face was wide and encouraging.
I wanted him to feel safe to talk to me about whatever was on his mind.
Whatever he was feeling. The good. The bad.
And everything in between. A healthy relationship required safe and honest communication.
At least, that was what my therapist was always blubbering on about.
“I’m thinking about how much I want to fuck you.”
Ohmygodohmygodohmygod.
Keep it together, Lyla. Keep. It. Together.
Although his words sent a massive fucking thrill through me—so much so I actually couldn’t believe I was still sitting in my chair and not riding his fucking lap—the tone he used indicated that he wasn’t overly happy about feeling the way he was.
“And that’s bad because…”
“Because you kidnapped me. I should want to kill you. Not fuck you.”
Should want to kill you.
That was what he said. Want to kill you. That meant he didn’t want to kill me.
That was a win in my book.
“You could pretend to kill me and then fuck me?” I offered.
He blinked, momentarily taken aback before raw, burning hot desire blazed in his eyes. “That, uh”—he cleared his throat, adjusting in his chair—“that sounds—”
“Hot? Exciting?”
“Intriguing.”
I’ll take that.
I took a few bites of pasta, trying to pick my next words very carefully. It had been a few days since the incident at the café, and it was the first time since then that the conversation had taken a sexual turn.
I wasn’t sure what was holding him back.
I was primed and fucking ready, especially after the way he’d gotten on his knees for me.
The image of Lukyan, kneeling, surrounded by dead bodies with my collar around his neck was one that appeared in my mind often.
I wondered if it was the same for him. If he was just struggling with his feelings toward me and fighting our connection.
I didn’t want to rely on our sexual chemistry to win him over, but if I had to, I would. I would win him over with my body first, then my mind.
“Just out of curiosity, what are you into?”
Lukyan arched an eyebrow and leaned back into his chair, his thighs spreading wide. “You want to talk about my sexual habits over dinner?”
“Why not?” I shrugged. “Unless you have something else you’d like to talk about?”
“I wanna talk about when you’re gonna let me the fuck out of here.”
Tension shot through me, and I cracked my neck.
“Before you lose your shit, I need you to understand that I have family obligations. I have people who are counting on me. I can’t just spend the rest of my life stuck in this house. In that town. Doing nothing all day.”
I tsked, looking away from him. Okay. He kind of had a point. I couldn’t expect him to spend his life like that. A soul like Lukyan’s, a spirit like his, needed to be free and wild, not cooped up.
I knew that. Understood it. But I couldn’t let him go. Not just yet. Not until he felt the way I did. As if he couldn’t breathe when I wasn’t near. Like his whole world would just crumble if I wasn’t part of it.
I needed him as obsessed with me as I was with him. That was the only way any of this was going to work.
“Do you mean that business with your grandfather?”
“It’s one of them, yes.”
“You want to kill him.”
“I need to kill him,” he corrected, voice hard. “That bastard’s death date is long overdue, and I’m going to be the one to give it to him.”
Leaning forward, I placed my elbows on the table and clasped my hands together, excitement streaking across my face. “How?”
“How what?”
“How would you do it? Tell me. Describe it to me. In lengthy detail.”
Startling blue eyes studied me curiously. “Why?”
“Because I’m fucked up, why else?” I shrugged, unashamed. “So? Come on. Tell me. What was your plan? Shoot him? Get it over with quick and easy? Or take your time? Do it nice and slow, and make him suffer for all the bullshit he’s put you through?”
He looked down at his plate. It was almost empty, only a few pieces of steak and potatoes left. I studied him, the look on his face and his body language, trying to figure out for myself what he was thinking.
A shocking thought occurred to me. “You didn’t have a plan, did you?”
“It’s not that I didn’t have one,” he said immediately, his spine snapping straight.
“I just work better when I wing it. That’s all.
I planned to wait for the best opportunity.
Most likely when I had him alone. Maybe in his office, late at night, after he’d had one too many drinks.
I’d lull him into a false sense of security with idle chitchat, let him talk my ear off about how great and mighty he is, and then when he least expects it—” He swiped a finger across his throat, making a kkkkkkkk sound as he did so.
“Sounds like it could work.”
“It would have. I would have made it work.” He pushed his plate away, leveling his gaze on me. My skin heated. “I have a proposition for you.”
“I love propositions.” I sat forward eagerly. “What is it?”
“Me and you—”
“Love it already.”
“One on one—”
“You sure? I’m not opposed to a few extra people—”
“We fight it out—”
“Not where I thought this was going, but I’m into it.”
“If you win, I stay here with you—”
“Uh-huh.”
“And if I win, you let me go.”
“No,” I flat-out refused. “Nope. Sorry. No can do.”
The sexiest, devilish smirk graced his lips. “What’s the matter? Afraid you’ll lose?”
I narrowed my eyes. “I see what you’re doing.”
“What am I doing?” he asked innocently.
“You’re trying to appeal to that competitive side of me, and it isn’t going to work.”
“Isn’t it?” He winked.
Okay. It kind of was. That gorgeous, long-haired son of a bitch.
“I know I can beat you. I don’t need to prove it.”
“But wouldn’t it be so much fun if you did?” He breathed.
I internally groaned. Yes. It would be. It would be so much fucking fun, which was exactly why I couldn’t do it—
“Think about it,” he whispered huskily, his deep, seductive voice making shivers dance all over my body. “Me and you, rolling around, getting all hot and heavy. Touching. Our bodies, close, rubbing up against each other—”
“Okay.” I didn’t need any more convincing. I stood up. “Wanna go right now?”
Lukyan laughed, and it made my heart all warm and fuzzy that he found me funny. Triumph shone in his eyes. He thought he’d won, but the truth of it was, I had. I was looking for excuses to touch him. For a way to seduce him with my body without downright throwing myself at him.
He’d just provided me with the exact opportunity I’d been waiting for.
I wasn’t worried that I’d lose. I’d win, and in the process, I’d win his fucking heart.
I bounced on the tips of my toes, excited energy pumping through my veins. Across from me, Lukyan stood on the blue mat, stretching out his long, toned body. We’d both gotten changed, me in workout gear, tight, black short-shorts, and a sports bra, Lukyan in gray sweats and a loose shirt.
We were in the gym, a small room I’d dedicated to working out.
It didn’t have a lot in it. I was limited with the amount of space I had available.
There was some gym equipment and a large, blue padded mat in the center of the room for sparring.
I knew Lukyan liked to work out. He liked to keep himself busy, so I knew the minute I’d planned to take him that I had to have some sort of area made for him to work out his frustrations.
Cedric was standing stoically in the doorway, and I turned to face him. “You can go, Cedric.”
He eyed Lukyan suspiciously. “I think I should stay.” He was worried for me. Worried Lukyan would take the opportunity to hurt me and escape.
I wasn’t.
He wouldn’t be able to deny our sexual chemistry any more than I would. I was sure of it. There was a very good possibility that it could turn into some hot, crazy sex, and I didn’t want Cedric standing angrily in the corner to ruin that.
Fighting and sex ran hand in hand for me. For Lukyan, too, I’d bet. It was inevitable.
“I’ll be fine. Go, relax. If I need you, I’ll call for you.”
Grumbling, he turned and walked away, making sure to leave the door open just in case.
I faced Lukyan again. He was already watching me, something dark and feral flashing in his eyes. He smirked, reached back, grabbed a fistful of his shirt, and pulled it over his head.