Or maybe she did know it. Tilting my head, I noticed she wouldn’t meet my eyes, her gaze kept looking straight at my chest.
Was she scared?
Was she pissed?
Was she as turned on as I was?
I had no answers and I hated that. I hated not knowing what she was thinking. Over the weeks I’d noticed that Anastasia’s face often gave her away. When she was looking at me there was nowhere for her to hide, she was an open book. I thought it was the sweetest thing. I didn’t know if she even knew how expressive she was from the outside, but I wasn’t going to be the one to tell her. I couldn’t risk the book closing.
My arms that carefully caged her in, dropped from the wall - leaving it to hold itself up. I lifted my hand to her chin, giving it a soft nudge. Her eyes met mine and my heart sank. I couldn’t read her at all. Behind those big blue eyes, there was nothing. That, right there, was an instant boner killer.
“Does this happen often?”
“Getting followed? Not often, but it happens…” When you’re the muscle for the King family. I didn’t want to finish that sentence but I didn’t think I needed to. Without knowing, she knew.
“No. I mean do you often press yourself up against vulnerable women?” She remained to keep a straight face. In any other situation, I might’ve found that funny but with my hand enclosed around her forearm, I felt it. Her pulse had spiked.
She wasn’t asking to make light of the situation. She was asking because she genuinely wanted to know if she was the one, or just one of my many. It was a valid question, something we hadn’t discussed - I hadn’t deemed us ready for any conversations that could be construed as breaching the relationship border. Could it have been possible that I misjudged the situation?
“No, that doesn’t happen often either.” My eyes flickered to her parted lips, following the tip of her tongue as it peaked out to wet them. The glistening sight had my breath coming out in pants. She was a truly captivating creature, I could’ve watched her forever without knowing that I’d even been caught in her spell.
“Kiss me.” I didn’t question it.
That small cue had been all that I had unknowingly been waiting for. The other night, when I’d brushed my lips against hers I hadn’t waited. I’d dove right in and it had been a mistake.
I inched my lips closer to hers, softly brushing against them. My arms slipped down around her waist, not tightening around her but just holding her in place. It was a slow, sweet kiss. Not something I’d ever experienced before but I found that with Anastasia slow and sweet might’ve just been okay.
I ran my tongue across the seam of her lips. I wanted more but I didn’t want to push her further than she was willing to go.
Her lips parted, letting me snake in and get my first real taste of Anastasia. And with that, my self-control went flying out the damn window.
My hands tightened around Anastasia’s back pulling her impossibly closer, crushing her against me. Her arms slipped up and around my neck, pulling me closer. The heat between us grew as the kiss morphed from sweet and slow to hot and rushed. We were a harsh tango of push and pull.
I pulled back. I didn’t want to but I felt my control slipping. I rested my head against hers, breathing her in.
Shit. We’d been followed.
My mind raced as I pulled myself out of dreamland and back into reality. All I could think was how easily I put Anastasia’s life in danger simply by bringing her out. As soon as we got home I needed to call my brothers, I needed to find out what the fuck was happening. But first, I needed to get Ana the hell out of here.
I looked around the room Finch had chosen for the four of us to meet. It was probably one of the homiest rooms in his house, but it was still fairly unadorned - a proper bachelor pad. His house made mine look warm and inviting in comparison.
Zedd and Drex were draped over their respective chairs like this was the most relaxing scenario they could possibly have been in. I had called them here for a meeting, they both looked ready to put on a movie and make popcorn. But I couldn’t expect much more from them, after all, they were my younger brothers.
While they had perked up when I told them Ana and I had been followed. Their concern seeming more for Anastasia than for myself. But that was an argument for another time. Still, neither of them had said much regarding the incident.
It was Finch who had me surprised with his sudden interest. “Did you see them?” he demanded.
“Was it anyone you recognized? And what about the car?”
“It wasn’t anyone I knew. They were in a black SUV, not like that’ll be much help.” I said, shaking my head. “They stayed a few cars back, so I didn’t get a license plate number.”
Finch nodded once, he seemed satisfied with that. Drex on the other hand…
“Why would anyone be following you? Do you think maybe Anton hired someone before his death to keep an eye on Ana?” He huffed a laugh. “How’d that be for parental love?”
“It’s possible,” I agreed. “But then why now? Why haven’t we heard that someone’s been looking for her?” Families and men-for-hire don’t always collaborate but when you walk in similar circles, you hear things.
“It’s possible they didn’t realize she was missing. We were quick at the funeral, and she didn’t make a scene. It’s possible that she just doesn’t have anyone to look out for her… and if she does, then they clearly don’t know where she is.” Finch’s assessment of Ana’s personal life was a touch brutal, but he wasn’t wrong.
“I think it was more likely an opportunist - someone looking to make a quick buck off the King Family.” He continued. “I don’t think you have anything to worry about. But,” He shrugged. “If it’s still getting to you, hire more security. I can recommend—”
“It’s fine,” I say, cutting him off. “I just want the three of you to be careful too. It may have just been a random attack, in which case you don’t have anything to worry about. But if this was a hit, you could all be targeted too so watch your backs, you hear?”
The three of them gave me wordless nods and the conversation turned to more pleasant topics. Football, soccer, etc. Stuff that I have no interest in whatsoever. I itched to get back to Anastasia, but I knew she probably didn’t feel the same right now.
Her words echoed in my mind. ‘Kiss me.’ Why? I wasn’t one to look a gift horse in the mouth, but why then?
My thoughts of her reminded me of the request she made earlier after we’d gotten home. After the kiss.
“Oh,” I butted into Zedd’s tale of the last match he watched. “By the way, if you’re all free, Ana would like for you to come round and have dinner with us again. She insisted even. Tomorrow night at six sound okay?”
I kept my expression tightly controlled as wide grins broke out across Drex and Zedd’s faces. I decided not to say anything about that either. It would not have done to let my jealousy run free here. Finch, on the other hand, looked somewhat stony. I didn’t know what his problem was. No doubt he’d bring it up another time, when we were alone.
Our younger brothers, however, let out a celebratory whoop and high-fived.