He took his fingers away, and I moved back to take him in.
He still looked like my bomb. Only now, he didn’t look like he would detonate with me so close by. Instead, he looked like he would kill for me.
He cupped my cheek, and we didn’t say anything, his thumb moving over the skin beneath my left eye gently. Briefly, I remembered Father had punched me in the face when he took me, knocking me out. I wondered if there was a bruise there.
I stared into his green eyes, reminding me so much of a forest. Thick, dark brown eyelashes surrounded contradictory eyes.
He shouldn’t look so beautiful. His eyes shouldn’t look so soft—almost feminine, as if a man as volatile as Nikolay could ever be considered soft and feminine.
He was beautiful, and I hadn’t really been given a chance to take him in fully.
I wanted to explore him now, slowly. Take my time and become acquainted with every perfect curve, every exquisite line. Every devastating feature. My very own muse.
I bit my lip.
What would he do if I kissed him?
Would he push me away? Kiss me back?
It was hard to tell with him.
He let out a small sigh. “Let me look at your wound, princess. It’s probably time to change your dressing, anyway.”
I blinked.
The moment was completely ruined.
I tried not to let the disappointment show in my eyes as I climbed off him, ignoring the tinge of pain from the move. I was only shot in one place, but I wondered why my whole body felt like it had been through the wringer.
I sat on the edge of the bed, my legs hanging over the side, as Nikolay moved out of the room.
I didn’t look at him. He returned seconds later and set down a first-aid kit at my side. He positioned himself beside me, one leg hanging over the bed and the other directly behind me. He said nothing when he lifted the shirt up and off me.
I shivered, my nipples pebbling from both the cool air and his eyes.
“Cold?” he asked.
I shook my head.
The corner of his lips lifted in the tiniest of a smirk.
“Hmm,” was all I got in response.
Slowly, he pulled the gauze away from me.
I turned slightly, but I could only see a small portion of the wound because of where the bullet went through. It was slightly off to the left of my lower back. Only a few inches away from my spine.
Even still, the part I could see looked nasty. The skin was red and angry, and I was surprised I didn’t hurt more.
I grimaced and looked at Nikolay instead.
His jaw clenched, a fire blazing in his green eyes. He was mad. Only I didn’t know if he was mad at me, the situation, or the man who’d put the bullet there.
Perhaps all three.
He gently cleaned the dried blood that crusted around the opening. I gritted my teeth to keep from making any noise, knowing he was on edge. It wouldn’t take much for him to be pushed off it completely.
I watched him put some white cream on the wound. It both burned and cooled the area. I flinched a little, and his jaw ticked.