I find myself staring at him. It’s dumb—I’m the one in my head, not him. He can’t hear my thoughts. He can’t see what’s going on inside me.
So why does it feel like he can? How come, when Anton Stepanov gazes down at me, it’s like every dirty little secret I’ve ever had is written across my forehead for him to read?
How does he know things about me that even I don’t know?
“I… that’s not—”
“You agreed to marry a man who was cheating on you with your best friend. She was lying to you. He was lying to you. And you didn’t see it. You never suspected a thing the entire time they were fucking each other and laughing at you behind your back.”
His words are harsh, but in the weirdest way, they’re not cruel. It’s more like he’s trying to help me come to a realization I’ve been avoiding this whole time.
“I… I trusted them,” I whisper, making the mistake of meeting his eyes.
“Did you really? Or were you just chasing the drama?”
My eyes go wide. “That’s a horrible thing to say.”
“The truth often is.”
I shake my head and try to get out from between his arms. Again, he blocks me.
“Not so fast, little one.”
“Whatever you’re going to do to me,” I growl, pushing my face up towards his, “just fucking do it.”
His eyes are gray steel, glowing with promises that can morph into threats at the snap of his fingers.
And I’ve just set fire to his worst intentions.
His arm twists around my waist. Before I can catch up with the action, his lips slam down against mine. The breath rushes right out of me.
And before I think straight, I can feel my body responding.
No!I scream at myself. Don’t fall for this. Don’t let him pull you in. You don’t have an excuse anymore. You know who he is.
But it’s useless. My tongue is entwined in his and there’s no argument in the world that could make me pull away.
As it turns out, I don’t have to. Because Anton breaks the kiss first.
I’m breathing heavily, staring up at him, my chest bruising against his wall of muscle. He traces his finger along the curve of my bottom lip.
“Sure you aren’t just chasing the drama?”
He might as well have slapped me across the face.