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I kiss Nadia’s cheek and cuddle her close, rubbing her back and reassuring her that I’m here. “What was the dream about?”
“It was a monster chasing me,” she wails. “He was made of purple goo and he had three heads.”
“Poor little kitten. It wasn’t real. It’s over now.”
Uncle Kristian is staring at me with an intense expression on his face. Fierce and filled with longing as he gazes at us, as if seeing me hold Nadia is somehow painful. He shoves his fingers through his silvery hair and his jaw flexes in frustration.
A moment later he touches my cheek and presses a kiss to my temple. “I’m going to double-check everything’s locked up tight.”
“Thank you,” I whisper, watching him head off down the hall. I’ll breathe a little easier knowing he’s certain we’re safe. Memories of that night are clinging to me.
All the children were awoken by Nadia’s scream. Their bedroom doors have opened and they’re emerging sleepily, rubbing their eyes.
“What’s wrong?” Lana asks, her face creased and her bangs sticking straight up.
“Nadia had a bad dream, that’s all.”
A moment later, Uncle Kristian strides back down the corridor and stops by my side. “Everything’s locked and the alarm is on.”
“Thank you.”
Lana frowns at us, taking in my hastily tied robe and bed hair and Uncle Kristian’s bare chest and jeans. “Uncle Kristian, what are you doing here in the middle of the night? Where are your clothes?”
He glances down at himself. “I spilled a drink on myself. Zenya and I were talking.”
Lana glances behind us at my open door. “In her bedroom?”
She looks more confused than suspicious, but my face still burns hot. “We had a problem at the birthday party we went to earlier tonight. We were just talking about it.”
“U nas s toboy vse yeshche bol’shaya problema, potomu chto ty ne otvechayesh’na moy vopros,” Uncle Kristian seethes under his breath.You and I still have a big problem because you won’t answer my question.
Lana whirls to face him. “What did you say?”
“He said goodnight.”
“No, he didn’t. That’sspokoynoy nochi. He said something about a problem.”
I glare at him, warning him not to say another word. “Uncle Kristian’s just worried about work, but he’s going home now. Everyone, back to bed or you’ll wake Dad. He needs his rest.”
One by one, the kids trail sleepily back to their beds. I can feel Uncle Kristian behind me as I take Nadia back to her bed, tuck her between the sheets, and kiss her cheek. After a few minutes of stroking her forehead and talking softly to her, she closes her eyes and falls asleep.
When I stand up and turn around, Uncle Kristian is right there, his arms folded across his bare chest and glowering at me.
“Be more careful what you say from now on,” I whisper. “They’re not all babies anymore, and Lana’s been learning Russian.”
“Zenya, tell me—”
“Don’t. You’ve had your fun and now it’s over. Go home. I’m going to sleep.”
He follows me back to my bedroom door and reaches for my hand. “Then let me sleep here with you.”
“I said go home.” I close the door in his face. He’s too wound up to sleep, and I’m done having theBut who took your virginity, Zenya?conversation with him.
His growl of frustration travels through the wood. “Give me my T-shirt.”
I scoop it up from the floor by my bed. As I stare at the bunched cotton in my hands, a pang of longing goes through me. I want nothing more than to drag that man into my bed and cuddle him close until morning, but what’s the point when I can’t keep him? I’ll only get attached, and then I’ll be devastated when I have to give him up. Dad would have the shock of his life if he found out how we’ve been carrying on. My brothers and sisters would be confused and upset. Everyone’s been through enough these past few years. I can’t be selfish when I should be thinking of them.
I press my face into his T-shirt and breathe in deeply. How I adore the smell of this man. His cologne fills my nose, but there’s so much more than what you can buy in a bottle. What makes me weak at the knees is Uncle Kristian’s own rich and powerful scent. His T-shirt is drenched with lust for me.
