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“I’ll put Yulia to bed,” I say, indicating the wooden staircase with a nod. With Yulia in my arms, I take the lead, ascending the stairs, with Sophia following me. Her steps are tentative as she appreciates the details – high ceilings, elegant art pieces adorning the walls, the tasteful decor.
We make it to Yulia’s room, where I gently lay down the sleeping child. Sophia stands in the doorway, arms wrapped around herself, observing in silence.
I look up from Yulia to find Sophia watching us. I catch a flicker of something in her expression as she meets my gaze – a glint of sadness, maybe, or just the strain of the long day. She’s clearly tired, the shadows under her eyes speaking volumes. Yet there’s an undeniable hardness to her, a steeliness that pulls me in.
“She’ll be out for a few hours,” I assure her, striding out of the room with quiet footsteps. Once I close Yulia’s door, I turn around to find Sophia right behind me, standing inches away. It catches me off guard; she’s so close I can smell her, causing an instinctive urge to surge through me.
“I want to kiss you,” the words fall from my lips before I can think better of them.
What the fuck, Luca?
Her eyes widen, surprise quickly morphing into something else – contemplation, uncertainty. But she doesn’t step away. Instead, she stands her ground, her breath coming quickly as I slowly close the distance between us.
Surrendering to the pull, I lean down, brushing my lips against hers.
There’s a moment of tension, and then she softens, shifting from alarm to a curious kind of interest. I can see her wrestling with her emotions, uncertain but not unwilling. As I pull her against me, I can feel how her heart hammers against her chest, matching the beat of my own.
Slowly, hesitantly, she lifts her hands, placing them cautiously on my shoulders. Her breath is warm against my lips, and then she’s kissing me back.
Our kiss deepens, our movements slow and explorative. It’s not the fiery, demanding passion I’m used to, but something different. Deeper, more intimate. It stirs inside me something that feels strangely like hope, like a promise I can’t quite understand yet. But I want to. I want to know this feeling.
When she pulls away, it almost hurts. “I’m going to go…prepare some food,” she says huskily. Her cheeks are pink, and I want to cup them, stroke my thumbs over the soft color there, to feel the warmth of it.
Instead, I step back, giving her the space she seems to crave. Her gaze shifts, the earlier connection broken. She moves away from me, her footfalls soft against the wooden floor, leaving me alone in the quiet corridor.
Seeing her walk away, a strange tug pulls at my gut.
Dammit, what the hell is she doing to me?
She’s stirring shit up in places that had been off-limits for too fucking long. But for good reason. It’s safer that way. I don’t let people in. People who get too close are either trying to kill me…or they end up dying. I don’t take those chances anymore.
And that kiss? That was worth a whole lot more than words. She isn’t just some random chick. She’s in my goddamn haven, invading a place where nobody else has dared to tread. And I brought her here.
Chapter 35
Sophia
I FIND MY way into the kitchen, my mind a jumbled mess, unable to focus on anything but the lingering sensation of Luka's kiss. It was different this time - soft, gentle, almost reverent. Like he was trying to pour everything he couldn't say into that one press of lips. It's thrown me off balance, left me reeling with confusion and a fragile hope I'm afraid to acknowledge.
I open the fridge, staring blankly at its contents, but nothing registers. How am I supposed to cook when all I can think about is the way Luka's mouth felt against mine, the tenderness in his touch? It's like he flipped a switch, and suddenly everything between us has shifted into uncharted territory.
Sighing, I close the fridge and lean my forehead against the cool surface.
Get it together, Sophia. You can't let one kiss, no matter how earth-shattering, derail your entire day.
The sound of footsteps behind me breaks through my inner turmoil, and I spin around to see Luka standing there, his gaze intense and focused solely on me. My breath catches in my throat as he starts walking closer, his eyes never leaving mine.
"Luka," I manage to gasp out, my heart racing in my chest. The air between us feels charged, crackling with a tension I can't quite name.
I’m not who you think I am.
I take a step back instinctively, but there's nowhere to go. My back hits the fridge, and Luka keeps moving forward until he's pinning me in place, his body a solid wall of heat against mine. I can't help the shiver that runs through me as his breath ghosts over my skin.
He reaches up, cupping my face in his large hands, thumbs brushing over my cheekbones with a gentleness that steals the air from my lungs. There's a raw vulnerability in his eyes, a silent question hanging between us.
"Tell me you felt it too," Luka murmurs, his voice low and rough with emotion. "Tell me that kiss wasn't just in my head."
I swallow hard, my hands coming up to grip his wrists, anchoring myself to him.
