Page 21 of Conceal

His eyes drop to my lips for just a second before they shutter closed and come back up to mine. He takes a deep inhale, like he’s bracing for something painful.

“Because you’re the best of us. You’re the best person I’ve ever met. And I don’t want to live in a world without you in it.”

I don’t know what to say or think, so I just blink up at him dumbly. I’ve never seen this side of Lev before. I don’t know what to do with this side of him. And as my eyes drop to his lips, I wonder what they would feel like pressed against mine. He groans and presses the rest of him flush against me. He’s surrounding me; he’s everywhere, and my hands instinctively wrap around his shoulders, letting my fingers tangle in his hair. I should be pushing him again. This is inappropriate. He’s my bodyguard and brother’s best friend.

But all I can think about is how badly I want him to kiss me. To take me. To make me his. Shit. My panties flood with arousal and my core aches. I can imagine him pulling down my scrub pants and thrusting inside of me. It would take nothing, and would be the single hottest moment of my life. I’m about to beg him to take me, when he dips his head and drops a kiss just to the side of my mouth. A tease of the thing I really want. And maybe what he wants, too.

“Don’t give up on us, Tati,” he whispers, the forefinger of the hand around my neck traces my jaw and shin until he drags it over my lower lip.

And then, suddenly, he’s gone.

Chapter fifteen

Roman

Ihate everything about this. The second Tatiana left, I bought a medical bed and had it shipped to the safe house. I hired a medical moving company to get me from the hospital to the safe house two days later.

And now they’re pushing me on a damn gurney through the front door of the cabin. I was the one who told Dmitri about it when I got intel that one of our rivals was arrested, so they wouldn’t be making payments on it anymore. I’m sure our enemy expects us to have safe houses in the city, but this one is so remote, several hours from DC and tucked back in the Appalachian Mountains.

I’d imagine keeping it as a home for myself when I retired. Maybe a wife and a kid or two? Its long, winding driveway, hidden in the woods, is perfect for setting up sensors alerting us of any unwanted guests, and the surrounding forest makes for an easy escape.

I’m embarrassed as the medical team jostles the gurney over the threshold.

“Ro!” Tatiana squeals as soon as I’m through the doors, launching herself into my arms. I can’t help the blush that heats my cheeks at her affection. I pat her back, grinding my teeth against the pain.

It’s awkward as they transfer me into the hospital bed in the back of the cabin, but once they’re gone, I feel like I can breathe again.

“Where are the boys?” I ask, noticing that she’s alone and frowning.

“Lev is driving Mik to his new job,” she says cheerfully.

“He left you alone?” Anger and panic claw at my throat.

She rolls her eyes. “No one knows I’m here. It’s fine. He wanted to make sure Mik wasn’t followed back here when he comes back, and I promised to hide if I thought anyone but them were coming.”

I’m placated a little. I still don’t like it. I’m not in any condition to be running or fighting to protect her if I had to. But she’s right. No one knows about this place. I made sure it wasn’t tied to any of our companies or anyone on the team. Technically, my grandmother’s name is on the deed.

“Can I get you anything? Water? Food?” she asks, sitting on the bed next to me.

My eyes dart to the bathroom. I stink. Three days without a shower and I feel like there’s a layer of crud all over me. But I can’t ask her to help me with that. I’ll have to wait and see if Lev will help me. I hate being weak and needing to ask for help.

“You want a shower?”

“No, it’s okay. I can wait.”

“Stop being stubborn, old man. I can help you. Nurse Tatiana at your service,” she says brightly, and I’m already regretting this. There’s no scenario in which I don’t lose all of my pride, having her have to help me bathe. It’s embarrassing.

She slides off the bed and grabs my legs, pulling them together and off the side of the bed so I’m sitting.

“You know, I watch this one caregiver on TikTok, and I find his story so addictive. He doesn’t hide how hard it is some days to be a caregiver. And he’s so young, too...” she rambles happily as she tucks herself under my arm and helps me stand. I grit my teeth and focus on her adorable rambling. She is chronically online, but if she wants to cosplay as a TikTok caregiver, who am I to argue?

She keeps talking, explaining a few things she learned from him, as we shuffle over to the attached bathroom. I’m still in a hospital robe, so the cool air on my ass is even more embarrassing. I should just quit while I’m ahead. She’ll never look at me the same after this.

We have to turn sideways to get through the doorway, and she has to squeeze against me tighter as we get through the doorway of the glass shower stall. We’re basically plastered chest to chest, and her soft skin, her silky hair, the scent of her has my cock thickening already. I’m sure I’d be fully hard if I wasn’t also mortified.

There’s a built-in bench in the large shower, and I hiss as my bare ass hits the cold tile.

“Um...” Tati says, and I’m sure the mortification is clear on my face. She steps back into the bathroom and returns with a towel. “You can cover up with that?”