Page 8 of Worshipped by the BRATVA Grump

“I didn’t mean—”

“I know what you meant,” he says with a finality I’ve never heard from him before.

My breath catches with regret.

“I was wrong.” I swallow away the dryness in my mouth. “I woke up wrapped up in you and I panicked.”

His brows fold into a frown as he looks at me over his knees.

“That night…” I trail off when I can’t find the words to say what I need to get out without sounding like a crazy woman. “I don’t regret it.”

“I know,” Mechislav says.

I turn my whole body toward him, my legs sliding over the duty floor. “You know?”

“You looked at me the entire time you were telling me,” he says evenly. “You didn’t look away once. People who regret something can’t do that. You weren’t sorry, Daisy. You were frightened, and those aren’t the same thing.”

Something goes through me at that, from top to bottom, and it isn’t gentle, because I know he is right.

I was afraid that I was attracted to a man who is part of the largest criminal empire on this side of the country. I was afraid that after that night, the attraction could grow into something more. I was afraid of what that would mean for me. About me.

“So you just let me leave?” I ask, not knowing what else to say.

His jaw clenches and I have to stop myself reaching out and grabbing it just because I want to know what his face feels like when he does that.

“I didn’t want to be the reason you were afraid.”

My mouth drops open. For the first time in my life, I’m speechless.

“I tried to stay away from you. But I couldn’t do it. Then everything started moving with the shop and I realized it might be the only way I can reasonably spend time with you without you feeling scared.”

“I’m not scared of you,” I say quietly, knowing it’s the truth. I take a slow breath as everything dawns on me at once. “I’m scared of wanting you more than you want me.”

Mechislav goes quiet then, and for some reason he looks confused. “I don’t know how to tell you how much I want you. I don’t have the words. That’s why I love the name you chose for this.” He gestures around him. “All the words. All the words I don’t have. All the words I want to say. All the words between us that are only ours…” he trails off and shakes his head. “God, I sound like an idiot.”

A flood of relief washes through me. “No, you don’t.”

I get up onto my knees and shuffle towards him on the dusty floor as he flattens his legs to make room for me to straddle his lap and take his face in both of my hands.

“I want more than one night with you,” I say.

“I want forever with you,” he replies.

The words unlock something inside me and I bring my lips to his.

He doesn’t move for about half a second, which is the longest half second of my life, and then his hand comes around the back of my head and he takes over completely.

He kisses me like a man who has been keeping a list of grievances. His other arm goes around my waist as he leans forward and then we’re off the floor with my legs wrapped around him. He places me on the ply top of the counter at the same time his tongue slides over mine and I moan into his mouth.

“Say it again,” he says against my mouth. “The thing you said.”

“I want more than one night with you.”

His hands are in my hair, then under my jaw, tipping my face up so he can get at my throat, taking his time as he moves his lips over my pulse. There is an unbelievable amount of force in this man and he uses none of it. He pulls my sweater off over my head like he’s unwrapping something he’s owed.

He shivers when I get his shirt open and put my hands flat on his chest, this huge man actually shivers at my touch.

He goes down onto his knees in front of the counter.