I called Yuri to tell him that I didn’t get to clean up properly last night. He’ll take care of the studio while I’m gone.”
“You’re lucky to have Yuri.”
His bright pink gaze narrows. “You seemed close with him.”
It takes me a second to place what I’m sensing from him. “If you turn green, you’ll be the epitome of jealousy.”
“What?”
“In English, we have a saying. When someone’s jealous, we call it the ‘little green monster’.”
“Firstly, I’m not little. Secondly, Ithaqua are possessive of their mates.”
I roll my eyes. “Well, I’m in your lap, not Yuri’s.”
Ilian squeezes my ass and grunts. “Good. This is where you belong.”
We stare at one another, the moment stretching as something combustible builds between us. A smart woman would back away—this isn’t what I want.
Instead, I lean forward, licking along his smooth jaw, his groan reverberating through my body before settling inside of me.
“Fuck,” Ilian mutters.
“Fuck it,” I agree, twisting his words.
Later, I can berate myself for lighting the match and throwing it on the kindling of our arousal, but right now, I just want to drown in this man.
If this bond kills me, at least I’ll die in a cloud of post-orgasmic bliss.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Ilian
I freeze, hearing the need—the plea—in Zhuliya’s voice. I try to resist, I really do, but the bond between us flares to life, demanding that we get closer.
It’ll continue to inflame our senses until we fully submit to it. With every stolen touch, we just make it worse.
“Soyam, we must stop.”
Zhuliya pulls back to stare at me, her expression torn. She wants this, but she also knows it’s just the bond. Her will to fight it is getting weaker, though.
“Please.”
Oh Ulu, anything but this.
“It’s dangerous—this is illegal.”
This catches her attention. “We can draw the curtains and lock the door. There’s still a bit before our next stop. We’ll just have to be quiet.”
I snort. My mate is anything but quiet when I’m touching her, but it’s one of the things that I love most about her.
“You misunderstand. I’m not talking about it being illegal to have sex in public, I’m talking about you having any relation with a monster, public or otherwise.
In Russia, it’s illegal for you to be with me. If anyone asks, we’re friends. I’m not overly concerned about what they could do to me, but I worry for you—especially since you have citizenship here.”
“Why can’t we be in a relationship?”
I shrug. “Monster-human relations are strictly forbidden. The punishment is worse for the monsters, but I don’t want to get you into trouble.”
Zhuliya scowls, her luscious red lips twisting. “How ridiculous! It’s nobody’s business who I’m in a relationship with.
I’ll never understand why the governing bodies of countries think they have a say in the private matters of their citizens’ love lives!”
“I couldn’t agree more, but now you understand why we must be cautious.”
“Maybe we should shut the curtains, just in case someone walks by and gets the wrong idea.”
Her expression is innocent, but what I feel through the bond is not. “Soyam,” I warn as Zhuliya leans over in my lap to whip the crimson fabric together, shutting us off from the world.
“Yes?”
“You’re up to something.”
“Just being cautious, like you said.”
“Ah, but you forget that I can sense your emotions. What are you thinking?”
