Page 156 of Nemesync
Nikolai crossed his arms, sighing. “You’re spoiling the kid, Zanae.”
I looked back at Niko with June in my arms, “He deserves it.”
Miranda hugged me before whispering in my ear. “Elijah compliments you beautifully, Zee.”
I smiled, feeling the same way as she described. As they headed into the elevator, Nikolai and Ben exchanged teasing glances.
“Looks like Elijah’s found himself a keeper.”
“About time.”
Miranda waved, and June blew me a kiss before the elevator doors closed, leaving Elijah and me alone in the penthouse.
“I’m so tired, but I loved this little party.”
Elijah nodded, “I’m glad you did.”
“I think we should do that more often.” I proposed.
“Anything that could make you happy,” he expressed. Then he wrapped his arms around me and added, “Time for us to be alone.”
I leaned into him, loving everything about my life with him.So calm. The voices faded away when I was between his arms.
I took a sip of my drink and found myself locking eyes with Elijah’s intense green gaze.
He shifted his attention to my lips.
And I know that look.
“Oh. You, Elijah Volkov, want to kiss me.”
He leaned in closer, curiosity and desire evident in his pretty eyes. “And how do you know that, Zanae? Not that you’re wrong.”
“I know your expressions too well now.”
He leaned back slightly, taking my legs onto his lap. “I’ve never asked you, but how do you do that?”
“Do what?” I asked, meeting his gaze.
“That witchcraft thing when you read people’s faces.”
I broke into laughter. “Are you really calling me a witch?”
His thumb rested on my cheek, before he answered, “Mywitch.”
My heart stopped. “I hope it’s a compliment.”
He sweetly kissed my neck, “Oh, of course.”
A giggle slipped out, as I answered, “What do you want to know about it?”
He settled back, his eyes still on me. “Everything,” he said, a flirtatious smile tugging at his lips.
“Okay,” I shrugged, surprised by his interest in every little detail about me. “When I was five, I saw my father and one of his men shooting someone in his office,” I began. “I didn’t understand at first, but when I saw the blood, I knew it wasn’t something good. At the funeral, I noticed something strange.My father’s friend who was involved in the murder seemed genuinely remorseful. It made me wonder how he could fake sadness after I saw his anger when he shot the bullet into the head of the man we were burying.”
Taking another sip of the wine, I delved deeper into my memories. “That’s when I realized there’s more to people than meets the eye, layers of complexity buried beneath our bodies. I learned to read emotions catching subtle cues—the language of anger from my father’s clenched fists and furrowed brows, the signs of fear from his men’s widened eyes and tense postures.”
Elijah began massaging my leg, his touch comforting. “When did you learn about love?” he asked softly.
