Instinct takes over, and not knowing what kind of threat we’re facing, I grab hold of my little deer’s arm and yank her body behind mine so I can shield her.
I might not be armed, but I know a hundred different ways to kill a person.
And kill, I will, because come hell or high water, I will have my kiss.
Chapter 3
Aurora
This is all too surreal for me to even try and process. My heart is beating out of my chest, my mouth is bone dry, and I feel almost delirious from just having him so close to me.
Staring at me as if I’m the only woman on the planet that matters to him.
I’ve never had a man look at me this way, and as his head lowers, it feels as if a magnetic force is pushing me toward him.
My heart pounds faster and faster, my breath stalls in my throat, and the moment our lips touch, the world shudders around me.
Wow.
I’ve never experienced such an intense moment. Certainly not with a man.
Attending a private boarding school for girls ensured I’ve remained a virgin. This moment is everything I hoped my first kiss would be. It’s a dream come true.
Everything shudders again, his mouth leaves mine, and a second later, I’m slammed into the wall, pain streaking through my head.
I’m so startled, and I don’t have time to gather myself before I’m yanked behind him.
It takes another couple of seconds before I hear the panicked screams and feel the air tensing with fear.
What’s happening?
My lips part to ask a question, what I’m not sure of, then a deafening blast shudders through the air, robbing me of my ability to speak.
There’s a hissing sound in my ears as he turns to me, wraps his arms around me, and forces me deeper down the hallway. My feet don’t even touch the floor, and I can’t see anything as his body blocks my line of sight.
I turn my head and see the wall quake as jagged cracks rip through the plaster.
A scream builds in my chest, but it never makes its escape past my lips.
His arms tighten around me, then we’re falling. The drop feels endless, and with debris and chaos crashing around us, I hear him curse, “Blyad'.”
I’m enveloped in darkness, and dust scratches the back of my throat right before I slam into something hard and unforgiving.
Pain streaks through my side, then it feels as if my body is torn apart. I’m so shocked I can’t even scream.
Fear engulfs me, popping the protective bubble I’ve known all my life. It’s so intense my mind scrambles to block the horror from sinking its claws into my sanity.
I try to blink, the dust irritating my eyes. I can’t focus on anything as I’m yanked to the side just as there’s a loud crashing sound where I was lying moments ago.
I’m dragged beneath his body, and my head is pressed against his chest.
With hell raining down around us, my mind is dazed, but one thought shines like a bright light – this man is something straight out of my most romantic fantasies – he’s not only deadly attractive but also protective.
Mio principe.
That’s what it feels like. He’s a prince that’s come to rescue me, to sweep me off my feet with a life-saving kiss.
It’s a stupid thing to think when you’re being crushed by tons of concrete. Right now my life should be flashing before my eyes. I should be drowning in fear and saying my last prayer.