Page 20 of Twisted Prince
She told the doctor she wasn’t. But to my understanding, when we first brought them home, Silvia established that the truckful of women we stole from Mikhail—including Mel—were all virgins meant to be sold for top dollar on the black market. So if she’s “damaged goods,” does that mean someone violated her?
Clenching my teeth, I work my jaw as I study Mel’s furious expression. Beneath her anger, I detect a pain that wrenches my heart. The subtlest tremble in her chin warns me that she’s on the brink of tears, and I want to fix whatever’s hurting her.
“You are not damaged,” I state flatly, trying to voice my emotions without making things worse.
“But you don’t want to kiss me,” she says, tone laced with accusation.
I can’t do this. I can’t be the reasonable one right now. Not when she’s looking at me like I just told her she’s undesirable. Meanwhile, it’s taking every drop of my self-control not to touch her. “I never said that,” I snap, my words coming out hotter than I intended.
“You said it’s not a good idea, and you obviously didn’t like the first time I kissed you?—”
“Fuck, Mel!” I throw my hands in the air, exasperated that I somehow managed to become the bad guy here. “You think I don’t want you? You think I haven’t thought about it a hundred times since you kissed me? I want you so fucking bad I can’t trust myself around you. But I can’t touch you without making you shudder, and I’m pretty sure you just told me you were raped in the last few days. So, no, I don’t think it’s a good idea!”
Mel falls silent, her expression stunned—probably because that’s the longest speech I’ve given in her presence. It’s definitely the most emotion I’ve expressed. Then she takes another step forward, closing the space between us.
“I want you to touch me, Gleb,” she breathes, her palms finding my chest and intensifying my heartbeat. “Only you.”
Fuuuuck. If she’s serious, despite everything she’s been through, then I don’t have the strength to deny her. Straining to keep my movements slow and gentle, I wrap one arm around her waist. I comb my other fingers into her thick black locks as I cradle the back of her head, and I pull her against my chest.
Our lips come together with that same jolt of attraction that lit my body on fire the first time she kissed me. Mel gasps, her lips parting, and I deepen the kiss. Stroking my tongue inside her mouth, I taste a hint of cinnamon.
Mel’s arms snake up around my neck, pulling me closer. And without breaking our kiss, I release her waist to reach behind her and swing my door shut.
8
MEL
Heat sears through my veins at the way Gleb kisses me. I never dreamed it could feel like this. To have a man touch me and leave me craving more. The sound of his bedroom door closing behind us makes my heart skip a beat.
But I feel entirely safe alone with Gleb.
Despite the passion in his kiss, he’s soft, his movements slow and inviting, like he wants to make sure I’m ready for each step before he takes it. And even as my pulse races, my chest tightens at his tenderness.
Though he’s astonishingly careful with me, his arms feel like iron as they hold me close. No man should be this strong, especially when his athletic build is more lean than burly. But pressed against Gleb’s body like I am now, I’m starting to rethink my opinion of how muscular he must be beneath his clothes.
He doesn’t back me against the wall or pin me down, trapping me like the men who have crammed their tongues down my throat in the past. Instead, Gleb gently leads me as he steps slowly backward toward his bed.
I follow, my stomach somersaulting at the thought of getting in bed with him. None of the activities I’ve done before have required lying down, and a thrill ripples through my body as I replay his words in my mind. I want you so fucking bad I can’t trust myself.
Does that mean I shouldn’t trust him?
My breath hitches, and he stops, breaking our kiss. Then he sinks onto the edge of his bed. Opening his knees, he sits so I can stand between them. I’m slightly taller than him now, and it’s astonishingly empowering. I’m still nervous, but the giddy excitement far outrides any trepidation I might feel.
As his hands come to rest on my hips, Gleb peers up at me with those emotional green eyes. They’re brimming with desire now, the heat melting my core into jelly. But beneath that is a deep, unspoken concern.
“You’re sure you want this?” he rasps, his voice uncustomarily rough. And I don’t know why, but it makes my heart pound.
I nod, leaning in to brush my lips across his and relishing the tingling energy that passes between us. “Maybe just… take it slow?” I suggest, combing my fingers into his dark crew cut.
His Adam’s apple bobs, and he nods. “You can tell me at any point if you want to stop.”
“Well, that’s a first,” I joke, my nerves obstructing my filter, and I immediately regret it.
Gleb’s fingers tighten, pressing into the flesh of my hips, and his eyes close, locking me out momentarily. A muscle ticks in his jaw, and his nostrils flare as he swallows convulsively.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean…” My voice quivers as a wave of emotion washes through me. I hate when it does that. It makes me feel weak, vulnerable. “It was a bad joke.”
“Mel, did Mikhail’s men touch you?” he asks hoarsely after a painfully long moment of silence. His eyes open once again, their intensity burning through me. “You can tell me. It won’t change how I feel about you. I just… need to know. I swore I would protect you. Was I too late?”
