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"Truthfully," he said, "I could not believe it even came out of my mouth. I am always so controlled, meticulous with everything I do, but there has been something about you since day one that threw everything off balance for me. I am reckless when it comes to you. I do not think but instead move on feeling. I know when you need me, and I know when you are looking for me. Me and you… What you make me feel… What we have, it is maddening. Do not deny that it is not the same for you."
The same for me.
"You're one hundred percent right," I whispered, terrified to open up to him. Yet, the tension loosened from my limbs and I relaxed under his hold. I nestled into Kova's chest and brought my knees up, and he hugged me.
"So, malysh," he said, his voice thick with raw emotion. "You can see why I understand how that came out naturally for you, as it did for me. I want you to finish that sentence."
I turned my head to the side in shock and glanced up. Kova gave me a daring look. Our faces were so close. This man was certifiable. No chance in hell was I finishing my sentence.
"No."
"Finish it," he demanded. His heady stare pierced my heart.
I shook my head vehemently. "I can't."
"I will never understand why I put up with your little demands the way I do…" he repeated, initiating our conversation from just before.
I shook my head again. My heart raced so fast that every time I took a deep breath, Kova’s forearm rose with my chest.
"Please don't," I said. My cheeks felt like they were swelling from the heat that had crept under my skin. If I said it, then it took us a step further. I wasn't sure if I could handle that.
"Pozhaluysta," he said, and for once, I knew the meaning. Please.
"Why?" I asked.
"For reasons I cannot explain." He waited a few seconds, then said, "Why do I put up with your little demands?"
The same reason I put up with his, and he knew it.
I licked my lips nervously and found the courage I needed to get the words out. "Because…" I stammered. "Because…you…love me."
Kova's eyes flashed with emotion that took my breath away. His lips parted just subtly.
"Again," he rasped. Now it was his turn to breathe deeply. We moved together.
"Because you love me," I said softly.
Kova leaned down and slowly bridged the distance between our lips. I held my breath as he grew closer, until he gave me the softest kiss imaginable.
He hovered above me, the tangible air thick with unspoken words that would never see the light of day. They'd stay between us. He panted as he pressed his lips against mine. Even the simplest action made the world fade away, allowing the true chemistry between us to grow even more. When it was just me and Kova and not the outside world to influence us, he put himself out there to show me who he was. Even if it was just a simple look, the embrace of his arms, an action that expressed his secrets, I saw him, and I understood him. Just like he understood me. Saying he loved me was the equivalent to malysh for him.
Kova broke the kiss but he didn't pull away. Damn his eyes and the way he looked at me. The smoldering heat split my heart open.
"I should go," I whispered.
"No, stay." He pressed his fingers down into me. "We do not have to talk anymore, but at least let me work those knots out for you. You will sleep better because of it."
God, the urgency in his voice and the look of dread in his eyes were hard for me to deny. I had to wonder if admitting his love for me was as intimidating for him as it was for me.
"Okay."
"Spasibo," he said. "Let me do it right. I will go grab the salve from the other room. Take the shirt off and lay on your stomach. I will be right back."
Kova released me and I stood up. I watched him leave his office, his gait marked with determination, his shoulders reminiscent of a tiger.
I did as he asked, then held his shirt to my chest, questioning myself as to why I was staying in the first place. Leaving would be the wisest decision.
Lying face down on his couch, I sighed at the softness and realized just how tired I really was. I folded my arms and pulled them up to my ribs. Kova was back in a few short minutes. He positioned himself behind me, squatting with one knee on each side without lowering his weight.
