Page 105 of Born into Blood

Vitaly laughs. “Don’t forget we all used to live together.” He laughs even harder and looks over at my Uncle Lev. “Remember the time you walked into the kitchen and caught them?—”

My dad claps his hands and stands, cutting off whatever the hell Vitaly was going to say. Niki and Max shoot my dad a grateful look, neither one of them ever wanting to know the ending of that particular story. Vitaly’s plan worked, though. My Aunt Simona is too busy laughing while my Uncle Danil whispers something in her ear, no longer worried about anything except trying to hide the guilty smile on her face.

The heat of Lara’s breaths hit my neck in a steady, deep rhythm, letting me know her pain pills have taken effect. When I stand, I take her with me, careful to not wake her. My mom and dad come over, and when I look over at her mom, my dad says, “Don’t worry. Your mom and I will take her back to her apartment. She’ll be safe there. We’ll post one of our guys outside the building just to be sure.”

Chloe stands, still holding onto Pip and takes a cautious step towards us.

“Are you okay watching Pip for the night?” I ask her. “Lara wants to take you to a shelter when you’re up for it so you can pick out a kitten. She didn’t want to leave you without a cat.”

Chloe smiles at that and reaches out to tuck a strand of Lara’s hair behind her ear. “I’d really like that,” she says. “I can watch him for as long as you need.” She hesitates before meeting my eyes. “Will you tell her to call me when she wakes?”

“Of course,” I tell her. “I have no desire to keep her from you, Chloe. I just want Lara to be happy. I don’t want this shit weighing on her anymore.”

“I know. I want that too.” She pauses for a second before reaching out and giving my arm a squeeze. “Thank you for finding us and for keeping her safe.”

“I will always keep her safe.” I smile when Lara lets out a soft snore and kiss her cheek before saying a quick goodbye to everyone.

It’s time to bring my girl home.

Chapter 17

Lara

My body jolts awake with a start, images of Radek filling my head as my fuzzy brain struggles to make sense of everything, and when I realize I’m naked, my heart races and my breathing turns panicked. I don’t calm down until I hear Luka’s deep voice in my ear and feel his arm wrap around me, tucking me even tighter against his strong body.

“It’s okay, kisa. I’m right here, baby.”

I hug his arm, feeling the steady rise and fall of his chest against my back as he kisses my head and nudges one of his thighs between my legs.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” I whisper, “but my brain feels sluggish.”

He gives a soft laugh. “That painkiller must’ve been stronger than I thought. You fell asleep at my, our,” he corrects with another laugh, “uncle’s house. It sounds so fucked up to say that.”

“We are not cousins,” I remind him, knowing he can hear the smile in my voice. “You carted my passed-out ass all the way back here?”

“I did.”

“And then got me naked?”

He laughs and tightens his arm around me, letting me feel the hard length of him against my ass as he buries his face in my neck, giving my skin a soft suck. “I wanted to do so many things to your body, baby, but I forced myself to behave.” He gives another laugh. “Sort of. I’m only human, and you looked so goddamn fuckable sprawled out in bed and snoring softly.”

“I don’t snore,” I quickly say, but then what he said hits me. “What do you mean sort of?”

“Hmm?” he asks, nuzzling my neck while he fills his hand with one of my breasts.

I laugh and try to wiggle away, but he just holds me tighter. “You know what I’m talking about. What the hell did you do to me while I was sleeping?”

He pinches my nipple, pulling a moan from me as he sucks the crook of my neck. “I’d rather show you, kisa.”

A million scenarios run through my mind, but I can’t imagine sleeping through any of them. I don’t feel sore anywhere, and I briefly panic when I think about the possibility of anal sex, but I know Luka would never have our first experience with that be while I was passed out. I’m not upset that he did something while I was sleeping. My body is his, and I’d be lying if I said it didn’t turn me on a bit to think of him using me while I was unconscious. Maybe I’m fucked up in the head, but the level of trust that demands is getting me all hot and bothered just thinking about it.

“Show me,” I say, turning when he guides me onto my back, positioning himself above me.

Instead of staying in missionary, he surprises me by coming up higher so he’s straddling me at my waist. His erection stands proud, and when I can’t resist bringing my hands up to touch him, he smirks and gives me a wink.

“This is what was missing last night. It was sexy as hell having you passed out, looking so goddamn sweet, but I missed your enthusiasm.”

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