“I’m just not there yet,” I tell him.
“You don’t owe me an explanation. I do have a question, though.”
“What is it?” I ask him.
“Can I kiss you again?” he asks.
“Yes.”
Ivan dips his head low, and his lips are on mine with a slow and gentle kiss. The warmth in my belly is back.
Ivan lets out a groan when he pulls his lips away from mine. I leave him to his work, but not before noticing that he grabs himself through his pants to adjust things. Later, I find my box of books from my apartment and shuffle through it to find the one I want to read.
I settle into bed and pull up my blanket. As I try to focus on the words in front of me, my thoughts drift to lunch and the kissing that followed in Ivan’s office.
Could life be starting to look up in the midst of all this chaos?
CHAPTER TWENTY
EMMA
A COUPLE OF days later, I find Ivan waiting for me in the kitchen, fresh cup of coffee in hand. He’s wearing a shirt that hugs his chest and arms in all the best ways to show off his toned muscles, and I swear it must be at least one size too small. The gray sweatpants are back, hanging low on his hips, and I can only imagine what the rest of him looks like underneath. Seriously, gray sweatpants are for women like lingerie is for men.
“Good morning, Ivan,” I say as I take a seat at the kitchen island. Ivan passes me a freshly made cup, our fingers touching quickly as I reach for it.
“Good morning. Did you sleep well?” Ivan asks.
“I did. The bed in the guest room is one of the most comfortable I’ve ever slept in. I get so comfortable so quickly, that I’m practically falling asleep before I plug my phone in to charge,” I reply as I take a sip of my coffee.
“I have something for you,” Ivan says, pulling a small box out of the pocket of his sweatpants and sliding it across the kitchen island towards me.
“What is it?” I ask him. He doesn’t answer my question, just nods to the box.
I open the box and find a gold bracelet inside. It’s a simple rope-style bracelet, and I have no idea how to hook it around my wrist because there’s no clear clasp.
“I need you to wear this,” Ivan says as he takes the bracelet out of the box.
“Why?” I ask him. He takes his time securing the bracelet, his touch lingering on my wrist. I’m glad he knows how it works, because I certainly don’t.
“Inside this bracelet is a tracking device,” Ivan starts to explain. “This is so that I will always know where you are, even when I can’t be next to you.”
“Is that really necessary? You already have one in my phone,” I point out.
“Yes.” Ivan is very direct. “Your safety and security is my first priority. You won’t always have your phone on you.”
“Well, at least you’re telling me about the tracking this time,” I say in an attempt to make a joke. Ivan smiles.
“There’s something else I need to tell you,” Ivan continues.
“Go on,” I say as I take another sip of coffee.
Ivan takes my hand in his. “I haven’t had feelings for any woman in many years. It’s part of why I have a strong need to keep you safe and to keep you close.”
“Oh,” I say.
“Yes,” he answers, once again being very direct. “And today, to show you how much you mean to me, we are going on a date.”
“A date?” I ask him.
