Page 53 of Blind Devotion
His chuckle was an achievement all on its own. While we couldn’t go further, especially not here, I leaned against him for just a bit more. Our kisses turned languid and gentle instead of hot and heavy. It was perfect, and yet not enough. I wanted more, but I didn’t. I wanted to take a leap of faith, while everything in me was saying to hold back. Whatever this was between us had no future, especially if he made sure I didn’t have one. I couldn’t forget that, no matter how he made me feel in moments like this.
“You haven’t seen a seduction yet.”
I believed that. “Ah, so a regular aficionado.”
“No. I don’t seduce women.”
“Why? You’re obviously great at it.”
He cradled my cheek and whispered, “What I told you earlier applies to sex too.”
My brain stuttered a moment. “Wait…you’re not a virgin, are you?”
His answer was a booming laugh that had heat tinging my cheeks. Sure, I couldn’t see if people were stopping to look at us, other than fuzzy, shifting shapes. That didn’t mean I didn’t know they were there or that my own embarrassment at my question wasn’t flaring. I mean, seriously, there was no way a man at twenty-five, with a body fit enough to lift at least two of me and a voice like his, was a virgin.
“Right,” I said, rocking back and forth, “okay, I get it, silly question.”
“You always find a way to surprise me.”
“Gotta keep you on your toes, after all. Too easy prey isn’t any fun.”
He grunted but didn’t respond, our teasing at an end because I just had to go and ruin it with a reminder of our dynamic. But what he didn’t get was that I was always thinking about it. It didn’t help that I was being sucked in by his big dick energy and enjoyed all our time together.
“Look, it’s not a big deal.” I took a deep breath, ready to admit this if it killed the sudden awkwardness. “This vision thing is just throwing me for a loop. It’s one thing to assume I’ll never see again. I’m okay with that. I accepted it the moment I woke up on that boat. At least I thought I had. But it’s…” I blew out a breath. “It’s another thing entirely to know it’s gone. It feels like I lost a part of myself that I didn’t even realize mattered to me until now. The doctor took that rug and just pulled it out from beneath me. Now I’m free-falling, and I have no choice except to fall on my ass.”
“Or you twist mid-fall to land on your hands and feet and leap for what you want. What do you want, Tessa?”
You, I almost voiced like a nitwit. My brain was still too hot and heavy after that make-out session.
He tugged me away from the wall and twisted me around until my shoulders were snug under his arm, my body tucked into his.
What did I want? It was a hell of a question to ask someone who couldn’t even remember a quarter of who they were. The only thing I was sure about was music. I liked listening to it. I loved imagining my fingers dancing along piano keys, which I had no memory of ever playing, or fiddling a violin to various tunes. My fingers played in the air a mimicry of whatever song played on the television. Is that what I wanted to be? A musician?
“I’m not sure yet.”
He huffed, as though that disappointed him. Then we were walking away from our lewd rendezvous spot, down steps, and onto a busy walkway where a few people clipped against me as they strode by.
“Pay more attention, asshole, before I make you regret it,” Adrien threatened one, tugging me closer. “You alright?”
The care in his voice made me smile.
We made it to the car, no worse for wear, without even a bump or bruise, thanks to his protectiveness. When he swung me around and pressed me into the car, the back door handle crammed against my butt, I didn’t resist. I needed more of him, no matter how foolish that sounded.
“Adrien De Villier,” a man stated flatly, not far to my right, probably near the front of the car. I wasn’t particularly familiar with his accent in French. My best guess leaned toward Eastern European or Russian.
“What do you want?” Adrien snarled. Bad me for enjoying his gruff irritation.
“Rurik Leontyev extends his thanks, but don’t forget what’s owed.”
Adrien stiffened beneath my fingers. He didn’t say anything, but I could practically feel his muscles tensing in place. One ofhis hands slipped into his pocket, the one that held a knife. I had felt it there earlier. It made me wonder if I hadn’t been there, would he have pounced on this guy?
“For you.” The man slapped the hood of the car. “A gift.”
Adrien didn’t relax against me as the man’s footsteps veered into the pedestrian traffic on the sidewalk.
“Jules?” he barked the question. No answer from our driver. “Tessa, stay there.”
He withdrew from me and bent over toward the front of the car. It shook as he slammed his fist against the window frame. His leg kicked at the car repeatedly, the whole body vibrating from it.
