Page 33 of Vienna Bliss

More like wishful thinking.

“I felt like I saw something rare that morning.” There was no hesitation, and each word was so precise she knew he’d probably been planning out what he was saying during the long silence.

“What did you see?”

“You. I saw you. Who you really were, under the…the cloak.”

She huffed out a soft laugh, partially at his verbal reminder of how she’d attracted his attention, and partially because it helped cover up some of her odd discomfort.

“But then I realized I was wrong. Because after everything between us, how could that sense of veracity be real?”

“I don’t know, but it was. At least for me. And when you walked away down by the lake…”

Another squeeze, but this time he followed it up by kissing her hair. “I’m sorry I hurt you.”

“Alexander, what are we doing? Because I don’t want to assume something and be wrong again.”

“You mean between us, not what are we doing on the floor, or in Vienna.”

“Yes. What are we doing?”

Alexander hesitated, and Alena wanted to curl up into a ball and die of embarrassment as she realized how that sounded. What he probably thought: she was fishing for a declaration of love.

Alena sat up, but turned, using her hands to help shift her leg, so she was more or less face to face with Alexander.

“We have a job to do, right?” she asked.

He was frowning, and looked almost worried, but nodded.

“So until that job is done, we’re partners. Can we agree to that?”

“Yes.”

“Perfect.” Alena held out her hand for him to shake.”

Alexander took it, but instead of shaking, he turned her hand and kissed the inside of her wrist.

Alena froze. His lips still on her skin, Alexander looked up, glancing at her from under those pretty long lashes of his.

“If I were a good man, I would not ask this.”

“Ask what?”

The tip of his tongue touched her pulse point. “You have spent several days making it clear to me that you are not suffering any lingering effects of being my BDSM slave, however briefly.”

Her nipples pebbled inside the dress in response to his words.

“I’m glad you finally believe me about that.”

His teeth scraped her skin, the spot where he’d just licked. “I want more from you than for us to be partners because of your job, my duty.”

“Oh?” She was breathing fast and shallow as arousal poured through her.

“I want you…no.” He lifted his head, met her gaze. “I want you back in my bed.”

She was tempted, so tempted, to just say “Yes!”

“Which bed? In a guest room?”