Page 34 of Essence of Fear

“You taste like cherries,” he murmured against her mouth. “Cherries and vodka.”

She really did.

It was addicting.

Like drugs shot straight into his veins.

She tipped her head to the side, and he let his lips trail over her cheek, and across the line of her soft jaw. Her lips trembled, and the quietest whine fell from her mouth when his hands slid around to slip under the skirt of her dress. The cotton of her panties met his fingertips, and her hips rolled faster in his lap. The sensation made him groan, and just as fast, her mouth found his again for another burning, deep kiss.

Fuck.

He couldn’t get enough of her. If he was starved, then she was the feast laid out in front of him. A part of him wanted to see just how far he could push this woman—how much would she take? Could he get all those broken parts of her mind to show for him? Could it possibly be as beautiful as he thought it would be?

There was no hiding the growing erection straining against his jeans—not that he cared to hide it. Viktoria’s fingers twisted tighter into his shirt the more he let his hands roam over her body under her dress.

Soft curves and warm skin.

She was perfect.

Perfectly broken.

“Pavel, we have a prob—oh.”

Viktoria practically jumped off Pav’s lap at the sound of her brother’s voice coming from somewhere behind them. Pav had the sudden and striking urge to grab the woman and drag her right back where she was. He didn’t give a fuck if the whole world wanted to watch him as he peeled back all the layers keeping her hidden. He just wanted her.

And even feeling that, the haze of lust that had taken over his mind for those couple of minutes quickly began to clear. He was fine with acting as though he hadn’t had his tongue stuck in her mouth and his hands under her dress as they dry humped one another on the back porch. He stood from the step and brushed his hands down his pants.

Viktoria, on the other hand, seemed to turn into a statue of ice two feet away. Her cold, blue gaze drifted to the side and wouldn’t turn to meet his, or the man standing on the back porch just beyond the door.

Konstantin, to his benefit, simply cleared his throat and went with Pav’s way of thinking. He acted like he hadn’t just interrupted anything, and that he saw absolutely nothing. Pav might thank the man for that, if he wasn’t so irritated and his cock wasn’t still hard.

Although, that was going away.

Shame.

“We have a problem,” Konstantin said.

Pav glanced over at Viktoria, but quickly went back to her brother. “What kind of a problem?”

“At the Compound. There’s been an … issue.” Konstantin’s stare drifted to his sister as he said that, like maybe that problem had something to do with her and he didn’t want to give details. Or, that was the impression Pav got, anyway. “We’re going to have to head out of here and go there to take care of it. If you’re not busy, I mean.”

Pav almost scoffed.

He didn’t get a choice.

Busy, or not.

Konstantin didn’t need to pretend differently.

“We’re leaving in two minutes,” Konstantin said, already turning to head back inside the house. “I will give you a moment.”

Pav wasn’t given the chance to respond before Konstantin took his leave. The backdoor slamming shut was the only sound that echoed over the backyard after the man disappeared. He swore he couldn’t even hear Viktoria breathing.

“Have a good night,” she said beside him.

He didn’t miss the iciness in her tone.

Or the way she wouldn’t look at him.