“Perfect, Sir. Miss.”
And just like that, without signing anything, or giving any sort of credit card number, she was whisked into an elevator. Aleksei obviously knew his way around, and they soon were inside what Deva had exactly imagined a suite would look like. They entered a vast living room with high windows offering a stunning view of Chicago. With creamy carpet and a plush dark brown sofa, the area was designed for lounging. On the right side, two opened French doors were leading to a white king-size bed.
“The bathroom is through the room. Why don’t you go and take a bath, soak for a while, while I ask Trent to get us some clothes? Are you hungry? Would you like to eat something?”
Her body felt like lead, and she couldn’t come up with an intelligent answer. Aleksei frowned and gently pulled her to him and pressed his cheek to her forehead. The same way she remembered her mother doing when she was a child. The same as she had done to him not so long ago. The tenderness of it mixed with her memories filled her eyes with tears.
“You’re a bit hot but not feverish.” And when he pulled away to look down at her, his eyes widened. “Deva? What’s wrong?” And before she could even reply, she was back again in his arms, a fierce hug, surrounded, engulfed by him. Her nose buried in his chest, she inhaled deeply. Damn, she didn’t want to, but even his scent grounded her. She was in deep trouble. But right this minute, it didn’t matter if she had to suffer the torments of hell later on. She needed him more than she needed to see the next sunrise.
Circling his torso, she rested her palms on his muscled back, relishing the contact. Aleksei banded one arm around her waist and the other he fisted in her hair, his nose buried in the crook of her neck. For a long moment, the only sound she heard was their breathing and the soft whooshing sound of his heart.
So very slowly, his hold relaxed, and he stepped back. His touch was so caring when he caressed her cheek and replaced a few strands of wild, curly hair behind her ear. From the first moment she had met him, he had been cocky, sarcastic, rude. But this side of him, was dangerous to her resolve, and she could easily waiver.
“Go take a bath, Deva. Relax. Let me take care of the rest.”
Was it uncertainty she saw in his eyes? He turned away so quickly, Deva wasn’t sure what she had seen.
