Chapter 10
Sitka
Damien keeps a tight grip on me while I explain to my brother that I’m fine and then reluctantly tell him where we’re at. I try to keep my voice from revealing anything, but Damien must notice because he hooks a finger under my chin, gently lifting my face so he can wink down at me.
I’m so focused on the gorgeous man in front of me that I almost miss Misha saying that he and Yuri are on their way to get me.
“Are you sure?” I quickly ask. “I mean, Damien can just bring me back if that’s easier.”
Misha laughs. “Yeah, the guards would fucking love that. You’re supposed to be with us, remember? You left with us. You have to come home with us. Plus, you shouldn’t be alone with him.”
“Oh come on,” I say, working hard to keep my voice light. “He’s Max’s cousin.”
“I don’t give a fuck, Sitka. He’s a guy. Period. And you’re not to be alone with him.”
Damien leans in to gently kiss my forehead. I’m not sure if he can hear my brother, but he can see how upset I’m getting, and I lean into him, taking the comfort he’s so freely offering.
“Misha, relax. He got me out of there, and he’s been a perfect gentleman. He even beat the shit out of some guy who tried to grab me.”
“Someone tried to grab you?” he asks, and I can tell by his tone that he’s pissed and that I need to backtrack because the last thing I want is him showing up here still thirsty for blood.
“It’s fine. Like I said, Damien beat the shit out of him and got me out of there.”
After a few seconds, he says, “We’re on our way,” and then hangs up.
I look up at Damien. “You see what we’re dealing with here?”
“I’m not worried,” he says, looking calm enough for me to think that he really has no clue what my family is like. As if he can read my mind, he cups my face and leans in close. “I know what your dad and brothers are like, and I’m not scared of them. Let’s just focus on us, okay?”
His thumbs graze my skin, making it so very easy to nod and say, “Okay.”
The corner of his mouth lifts. “Good. We keep it secret. For now. Keep sending me messages, though. I like hearing your voice.”
“I like hearing your voice too,” I tell him.
Bringing his lips close to mine, he whispers, “Kiss me goodbye, besyonok.”
His words pull a hungry whimper from my throat as I close the distance and kiss him like I’ll never be able to get enough.
Kissing Damien is exactly what I hoped it would be.
He’s tender, like he’s savoring the taste of me, but there’s a hunger beneath the gentleness that spikes my heart rate and makes an intense ache settle deep in my core.
Strong hands cup the back of my head and ass, locking me in place while the thick, hard length of him digs into my thigh.
I shift my hips, wanting to feel that pressure between my legs, and when I rock into him, he groans and kisses me harder, giving me a glimpse of what he would be like if he let himself go and ignored all the restraints he thinks he needs to put on himself.
I promise myself that one day I’ll find out.
When he pulls back, we’re both breathless and wanting so much more. I waited so long for my first kiss, but instead of satisfying me, it’s just made me even hungrier. I want so much more from him.
“How am I supposed to just walk away and pretend this meant nothing?” I ask.
“I’m asking myself the same question.” He brushes my hair back from my face, tucking it behind my ear before dragging his fingers along my jaw.
“I can force myself to do it because you’re worth it.
I want to get to know you, to spend more time with you, and if I show how much you already mean to me, then it’ll make it a lot harder for us to do that. ”
He kisses the brow I’m furrowing and says, “Harder, not impossible. I’m not letting you go, Sitka, not even if your brothers show up and find us just like this.”
That thought is like a bucket of cold water, and when I try to take a step back, he kisses me once more before letting me go.
We both turn our heads at the distant sound of an engine. I know it’s Misha’s truck and that they’ll be here in seconds, but I don’t want to leave and I can’t force my feet to move.
He reaches out to stroke my cheek when he says, “Don’t believe the act I’m about to put on, Sitka. Promise me you won’t doubt what happened tonight.”
“I promise I won’t, but you better not either. I expect a ton of voice messages. I’ll figure out a way to see you again, and when I do, I want a lot more than a kiss.”
He gives me a full smile that’s so stunning I forget all about my brothers and step closer so I can press my hand against the huge bulge that’s still straining against his jeans.
“Fuck,” he groans, slamming his hand on top of mine and pressing harder while he rocks into our touch. “You are a wicked little thing,” he groans, but there’s no anger in his voice, only a deep yearning that we’re both feeling.
Headlights cut through the trees, and I quickly step back in case they can see us. While I walk over to his bike, Damien turns his back and mutters, “This might clue them in on how I feel,” before he readjusts himself and pulls his hoodie down as much as possible.
I laugh and grab the gear I left near his bike. “Don’t worry. I’m just as miserable, but my pain isn’t quite as obvious.”
“At least I’m not the only one,” he says, walking back to me.
Before he gets on his bike, he discreetly cups my ass, giving it a firm squeeze that makes me want to arch into his hand even though it also reminds me I’m not fully over the sunburn.
That flicker of pain isn’t doing shit to make it any less erotic.
If anything, it’s just heightening it. I’m not sure if that’s normal, and there’s no time to ask, so I ignore it for now and get on the bike behind him.
I want to wrap my arms around him again, but instead I do what I do when I have to ride behind my brothers.
I keep as much distance as I can and grip his shoulders instead.
The short path through the woods doesn’t take long, and soon Misha’s truck is right in front of us, parked on the edge of the road.
Before I get off the bike, I run my fingers along the back of Damien’s neck, grazing the skin I’ll never get enough of.
This man is my new addiction. I want to explore every part of his gorgeous body.
I want to know everything about him, and walking away from him right now is the last thing I want to do.
When he cuts the engine, I quickly whisper, “I won’t forget,” before hiking my leg over and stepping off. Our eyes briefly meet, and for just a second he lets me see the promise he’s giving me. This isn’t the end of this. It’s only the beginning.
Yuri gets out and meets me halfway to the truck. “Nice win,” he tells me. “Your cut is big. Everyone bet on the guy with the orange bike.”
I roll my eyes at him. “Of course they did. They never learn.”
“Here’s hoping they never do,” he says before looking over at Damien. “Thanks for getting her out of there.”
“No problem,” Damien says, and I resist the urge to look over at him.
“Is Allie okay?” I ask before Yuri can start to question what we’ve been doing this whole time.
“She’s fine,” Misha says from the truck with a laugh. “Dima was pretty pissed and his hand’s going to be swollen for a few days, but she’s fine.”
“Everyone else make it out okay?” I ask. “You didn’t kill anyone, did you?”
“Come on, sis,” Yuri says. “You know us better than that. Never in front of witnesses.”
“Accidents happen,” I say, but he just grins at my worry and looks back at Damien.
“You think you can make it back okay? If you follow us, you just need to turn off when you see Clatskanie River Road, then take a quick left on Neskowin. Stay on that. It’s impossible to miss Uncle Vasya’s place once you’re on it.”
Damien pulls his phone out and says, “You guys go on ahead. I’m gonna call Ev first.”
Yuri starts to walk back to the truck while he says, “He left with Bran. They should already be at the house by now.”
With both my brothers watching me, all I can do is give a casual wave to Damien and say, “Thanks again for the help.”
He nods but his face is guarded and it’s nothing like the way he’d just been looking at me. I turn away when he turns his attention to his phone, and I really hope he sends me a message later because this is going to be a lot harder than I thought it’d be.
I can handle it for now, though. I think I could put up with just about anything if the end result is his powerful body pressed against mine.
I swear I can still feel every solid inch of him, and I know I’ll be thinking about that sizable bulge I’d gotten to palm on repeat.
No way is that something I can just forget about.
We leave Damien parked on the side of the road, and I wish he’d opted to follow us.
I know he can take care of himself, but I still hate the idea of him out there all by himself.
There’s no way to voice my concerns without my brothers noticing, so instead I ask them for details of the fight.
They’re more than happy to regale me with details of busted lips and noses and then the panicked frenzy when the idiots realized who they’d chosen to pick a fight with.
Our family’s business stays in the city, but even though our parents chose to live on the outskirts doesn’t mean the people around here don’t know who we are.
At the very least they’ve heard rumors, and those are enough to scare most people.