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“It means little rabbit,” he tells me. I frown for a second.
“Little rabbit?”
“No more questions.”
“But why little rabbit?” I persist.
“Because I think you are running,” he sighs out. His words slur slightly.
Running.
Fuck. He couldn’t possibly know. But there will be no more questions now. His eyelids seem to be drooping and as I rest there, slowly relaxing against him, I feel his breath grow rhythmic.
This feels too damn good.
And for the first time in months, I stop worrying.
About the men who hunt me.
About the child growing inside me.
For the first time in months, I feel safe.
Chapter 24
Anton
The sunlight streams through the curtains, waking me from a deep and dreamless sleep.
For a moment, I’m disoriented, confused by the warmth and softness surrounding me. Then I become aware of Scarlett’s naked body curled against my own, her arm draped across my ribs and her head resting on my shoulder. The wound on my chest has gone stiff and tight overnight, but somehow, it doesn’t bother me. Her breath fluttering on my skin washes the discomfort away.
My heart lurches at the realization. I haven’t woken up next to a woman in years; not since Katya’s death. Guilt and longing war within me as I gaze down at Scarlett’s sleeping face. Her fiery auburn hair is a tangled mess, her full lips slightly parted as she breathes slowly and deeply.
She’s fucking beautiful.
I get a few more minutes to admire her beauty before she stirs, blinking open her stunningly dark eyes to meet my gaze. I tense, bracing myself for her reaction. But Scarlett only smiles softly and presses a kiss to my chest.
“Morning,” she murmurs, her voice husky from sleep.
My throat is suddenly dry. “Good morning.”
Silence falls between us as she traces lazy circles on my skin with her fingertips. I stare up at the ceiling, torn between pulling her closer and pushing her away.
This is different from how we were before. It’s like we crossed a dangerous line.
I’m no idiot. It’s been clear from the beginning that she’s trouble, a threat to the careful control I’ve maintained over my life for the past three years. More than three years.
But fuck, I wanted her. I still want her, even now with her in my arms. Scarlett makes me feel alive in a way I haven’t felt since before Katya died. When I’m with her, the shadows and ghosts of my past fade away, replaced by a fierce longing for the present.
“What are you thinking?” Scarlett asks softly.
I meet her gaze, those fathomless pools that see far too much. But I can’t tell her the truth. I can’t expose the raw wound of my loss and longing to this woman when I’ve spent so long guarding my world so fiercely.
“Just wondering what trouble you’ll get into today,” I say.
Scarlett grins, a flash of white teeth against smooth skin. “I was thinking of lying in a little longer, actually. Unless you had other plans?”
Her fingertips trail down my chest and abdomen, lighting sparks of heat that pool low in my gut. I swallow hard, not sure if I should drag her back into my arms or send her out to maintain the distance.
