Page 50 of Sinful Promise

For the next hour, I run around after the twins, pushing them on their bikes and playing catch. It’s surprisingly fun and making them squeal with laughter is intoxicating.

Sometimes, I can get so caught up in all the dark stuff that comes with my work within the bratva that it’s refreshing to get to act like a kid again.

I envy their innocence.

On more than one occasion, I glance up and I could swear Emily’s looking out the window at us, and I can’t help but smile.

I’ve missed her.

I groanas I come back down the stairs after putting the twins down for a nap. “Holy shit, those two are hard work. I’m exhausted.”

Emily is sitting on the couch with her legs crossed and a textbook balanced on her knee. “You barely lasted two hours!”

Emily laughs, closing her textbook as I approach and tossing it on the floor.

I plop down on the couch next to her, trying not to eye her bare legs. “Is that all it’s been? It feels like days. I don’t know how Zara and Dimitri do it.”

“Me neither.”

“They are pretty adorable, though.”

“They sure are.”

“Shouldn’t I be napping when the twins nap? Isn’t that how it works?” I adjust myself so that I’m lying sprawled on the couch with my head resting in Emily’s lap.

“Danil, don’t you dare fall asleep!” She whacks my shoulder playfully.

I snuggle against her soft thighs. “Shh! Time for Danil’s nap.”

She laughs. “You are so annoying.”

I grin up at her and when our eyes meet, her cheeks turn a soft shade of pink.

I’m suddenly all too aware of how close we are, but neither of us makes any attempt to move.

My cheek brushes against the soft skin of her inner thigh, and the temptation to press a kiss to her skin is almost too much to bear.

My mouth suddenly goes painfully dry.

“I can’t be that annoying, otherwise you wouldn’t hang out with me all the time.” My voice is thick with need.

“I like hanging out with you.”

She gingerly reaches out and brushes the hair out of my eyes.

The feeling of her fingertips grazing my skin makes me shiver.

Having my head in her lap while she’s wearing a tiny pair of shorts is making me painfully hard. What I would give to be able to slide those shorts down and bury my face between her soft thighs…

I really should move.

At this angle, there’s no way for me to hide my erection, and if Emily were to notice how turned on I am… Well, it wouldn’t exactly scream friendship, and I don’t want to make her uncomfortable.

But then again, the way her eyes keep flicking to my lips has me wondering if perhaps it wouldn’t be such a bad thing for her to notice after all.

I suddenly realize that neither of us has spoken in a few minutes, and Emily is still playing with my hair. There’s something strangely intimate about it, and I don’t want her to stop.

While I’m no stranger to showing her affection through hugs and the odd kiss on the cheek, I’ve been careful to keep things platonic between us.

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