Page 26

“You can…” I whisper.

He waits a few more seconds, the moment suspended between us. I have time to think that there is nothing sexier than a man who asks you for permission with his eyes.

Then, he kisses me as only he knows how, with all his passion and sensuality. One hand on my lower back, the other on my neck, his lips meet with mine as if they were made for each other. He lets out a groan, and I respond with a long sigh of ecstasy. This kiss—I’ve dreamed of it millions of times. I’ve waited for it. Longed for it. For twelve years. I slip my fingers into his hair, just like I used to, and run my tongue over the small scar that marks his lower lip. This embrace has set me on fire. I want more. I want him. Now.

But then he hesitates. His arms loosen around me, and I feel him slipping away again. I try to hold onto him, but it’s too late. As he steps back, his expression turns distant; his mind is clearly in turmoil.

“What the hell am I doing?! After what you just went through…”

“Vadim, I’m fine. If I weren’t ready for this, I’d tell you. Being attacked reminded me that I need to live, to take back control of my body, of my… desire.”

Breathlessly, I look at him. His chest is rising and falling just as quickly as mine. I can sense the storm raging inside him, the battle he’s fighting against his own body, every muscle stretched painfully taut.

“Alma, I’m your boss… And our past… Us, it’s… You chose to…” He shakes his head, unable to finish a single sentence.

I want to scream that twelve years ago, I made the biggest mistake of my life when I left him. That not a single day has gone by without me thinking about him. That the two of us were meant to be. This can’t be where our story ends. It’s up to us to write the first chapter of this new story. To reset everything between us. I’m ready to start over. But is he?

“Please, let’s not confuse things,” I murmur. “I know you want to protect me… and yourself. I know I hurt you. But I’m no longer the Alma you once knew.”

His eyes narrow, searching mine.

“You wanted me to open up, didn’t you?” I add. “Well, here goes… I missed you so much.”

He smiles at me. “I missed you, too.”

The words clearly cost him. But his hands find my waist again. He moves closer to me. His fingers take hold of the belt of my robe and undo it slowly, very slowly… It falls to the floor with a soft rustle.

Vadim’s gaze travels over my naked body, and I find myself awed by the way he looks at me. I still love seeing myself reflected in his eyes. Moving slowly, he circles around and comes to stand behind me. His lips brush the spot just beneath my ear before trailing down my neck, while his fingers graze the nape of my neck and glide slowly along my spine. A shiver ripples through my skin. I let my mind drift as my body revels in his touch.

Vadim was my first. Twelve years ago, I gave him the most precious thing I had: my virginity. I never thought I’d give it away so easily—on an impulse, in a sudden rush of feeling. But with him, everything felt so natural. I fell in love after just a few words. I gave myself to him with one single look. Everything about him drew me in. From his stubborn, determined nature, to his open, passionate heart. From his strikingly beautiful face to his body, as strong as it was graceful. Every girl at college wanted him, but I didn’t dare to let myself want him. I didn’t think I was ready. I wanted to wait; my upbringing dictated it. But when a love this intense crashes into your life, nothing else matters. Nothing except the desire to be near him, with him, against him—the desire to surrender. Vadim taught me how to let go, how to listen to my senses, how to demand that my pleasure come first. He did it with such gentleness and tenderness, and in the process, he awakened my passion.

Intoxicating memories come flooding back, setting me alight once again. I turn to face him, and his warm breath brushes my face. I feel at home in his arms. This thing between us feels so natural, so inevitable—just like before.

Vadim + Alma.

“What are you thinking about?”

“About us… Before.”

“So you haven’t forgotten, then.”

“Impossible. No one has ever loved me the way you did.”

“You + Me,” he replies with a sigh.

Coming from his lips, just that tiny phrase is enough to make me throw myself at him. With my arms wrapped around his neck, I leap up and wrap my legs around his hips. Our lips collide, our teeth clash, our tongues duel. I feel his hands on my ass, and I love it. He lifts me a little higher and guides us toward the nearest table. With a single sweeping motion, he sends the pile of folders sitting there flying, before setting me down on the wood. He towers over me, throws me a playful smile, then kisses me fiercely again.

“You drive me crazy, Alma.”

An exquisite warmth spreads through my body. I’m floating, completely disconnected from reality, when out of the blue the doorbell rings, bursting our bubble. Vadim shoots me an intense look from beneath his furrowed brows and pulls away. My heart races, but I remain motionless, praying for the intruder to give up and go away.

No such luck. They ring again. Once, twice, five times. Apparently, it’s urgent.

I plant a kiss on Vadim’s lips, move around him, and get back on my feet, picking up my robe and putting it on as I head to the door. There, I find myself face-to-face with a courier who seems to be in a hurry. He hands me a bouquet of red roses, wishes me a pleasant day, and leaves with a knowing smile.

But I’ve got no idea what’s going on. Roses? Why? Why now? And why send a bouquet without a card, without a name? Why so many mysteries?

“Who are they from?” Vadim asks as I join him in the living room.