Chapter Twelve

TWELVE

Azelie wrapped herself in her largest robe. She'd taken a bath in her tiny bathtub and now she had to face what she'd done. She should have asked Andrii questions before she had sex with him. Now she didn't know if she could bear to lose him. Still, she didn't want to go into a relationship with her eyes closed.

Andrii was a scary man. Not in the same way Billows was scary, but there was no denying he was dangerous as hell. Just because he was so unfailingly sweet to her didn't mean a relationship would work, especially with Billows looking over her shoulder and threatening anyone who came near her.

Andrii had been wonderful to her after having sex with her. He kissed her dozens of times, whispered how beautiful she was. How much she meant to him. How amazing she made him feel. He made her feel as if she were the only woman in the world. Still, that didn't excuse the fact that she should have asked questions before .

Her apartment was extremely small, but she made certain she was a safe distance away from Andrii. He seemed to be able to cast a spell on her, and she had to have a clear mind when she asked him very important questions.

He was seated in one of her two comfortable chairs, his legs sprawled out, feet bare, wearing just jeans and his unbuttoned shirt. His laid-back position and the way he was dressed suggested an intimacy level she wasn't sure she could cope with.

He had scars. A lot of them. Burn marks. Bullet scars. Ones from knives. What looked like whip marks. She hadn't seen his back, but if his chest was covered in scars, she had to assume his back would be as well. He was heavily tattooed. She wanted to trace those tattoos with her tongue. Press kisses over the scars just as he had over her three. Three bullet wounds had seemed a lot until she saw his chest.

Azelie forced herself to ask the necessary questions. The important ones. "Do you own a gun?" She had to know.

Her heart went crazy, accelerating far beyond what it should have. She found she was more fearful of his answer than she was of Billows and his threats. She wasn't falling for Billows. She was for Andrii.

She knew she was more than halfway there. Everything about Andrii appealed to her. He was sweet and caring. Very attentive. At the same time, he made her shiver with excitement, feeling the underlying power clinging to him. She had been on her own for as long as she could remember. Janine had taken her in when her mother had imploded, but she was expected to contribute to the household—even when Quentin wasn't.

She had often made decisions with Janine she didn't want to make. Neither woman had a choice when there was no one else to figure it out. She pushed herself to be definite and firm in her options, but her inclination was to put things off. Like Billows. She still didn't have a great exit plan. She kept putting that off until she made it through college. Who knew what she would do then?

But a gun in her home? Guns in the hands of the man she might eventually live with? She wasn't certain she could overcome that particular roadblock. The thought was terrifying to her. She kept her gaze steady on his. "Do you, Andrii? Do you own a gun?"

Andrii didn't flinch or look away. "Several guns. And my guns aren't my only weapons. I am a weapon."

She touched her tongue to her upper lip, unable to decide how she felt about his admission. His tone was calm and velvet soft. He looked at her as if she were his world. Quentin had never looked at Janine that way, but he had professed to love her.

"Talk to me, Zelie. That's what we're doing here, being honest and communicating."

She had to be real with him. Tell him the strict truth. If he couldn't take it, they weren't meant to be, no matter how much she wanted him. "The idea of guns anywhere around me makes me uneasy," she admitted.

"Come here to me. I need you close when we talk about our future."

"I get lost when I'm too close to you," she admitted.

"I'll keep us on track. This is important to you. To both of us. Come here, baby."

His voice. So compelling. How could she resist? She moved into him, standing between his thighs. At once, he pulled her into his arms, onto his lap. She knew when he wanted her close, it meant on his lap. She didn't protest. She felt safer when his arms were around her.

He cradled the side of her face with his palm, his thumb sliding over her lips, sending shivers of awareness down her spine.

"Baby, I'm not Quentin. I know guns might seem scary to you, but you need to see who I am. I'm far more lethal than your brother-in-law could ever have been. He was a bully and a coward. He couldn't have loved your sister or his children or you. I would kill for you, but I would never do anything to harm you. You're my savior. My world. A treasure beyond any price. If things go bad between us, I would move heaven and earth to make them right. I would never, under any circumstances, consider harming you."

She touched the tip of her tongue to her suddenly dry lips. He had admitted to her he was trained as an assassin from an early age. She had no doubt that he was skilled in his craft. Just the fact that he was alive was a testament to his expertise. If she entered into a relationship with him, she would always know what he was capable of. It had never occurred to her that he wasn't telling her the truth. Looking at him, seeing him, lent credence to his admissions.

"What are you thinking?"

"You could have lied to me about your past." She didn't know what she was asking of him. Reassurance? How could he make her feel as if she wouldn't be living under a threat when he readily admitted he was a lethal weapon even without a gun?

"I could have, but I want our relationship to be about trust. About honesty. I need to know that you can accept me the way I really am. No fantasy. No overlooking my faults. To be in the relationship I need, you have to trust me. That isn't going to be easy, and I'm aware you'll be making quite a few concessions, so it's important to me to always, always, give you the truth. You will need to know you can depend on me, on my word, no matter what the circumstances are. If I can't tell you something right at the time you ask a question, I'll let you know why I can't answer and when I'll be able to."

Another red flag went up. Alarms sounded in her brain. That didn't sound good. Not answering her questions right away? She would have to have understanding for him if he decided he couldn't talk to her about some subject she was confused about. Or worried about.

Azelie made a move to get off his lap. His arms tightened around her, preventing the hesitant movement.

"We knew this wasn't going to be an easy talk, Zelie. It's necessary if we're going to have the kind of relationship we both want. Don't run away from me because you don't understand. We're going to keep talking until you do. Talk to me. Communication is necessary in our relationship, although when you ask me questions, I reiterate, I might not answer immediately. I might ask you to wait for answers. If that happens, I want you to know I have very good reasons for needing you to be patient."

Azelie didn't know what to think. He talked about communication but then told her straight up that he might not answer her if she asked questions. "You're confusing me, Andrii. You say you want us to communicate, but then in the same breath, you say you might not answer questions I ask." Azelie forced her gaze to meet his. "Are you a criminal?"

His gaze didn't waver from hers, but he remained silent for too long. Far too long. She sighed and tried to turn her head. He gently cupped her chin in a silent demand to keep her looking at him.

"Baby, I own a construction business with three friends. I play music in a band. Those are legitimate businesses and I get paid very well for them. I also do other things when the circumstances warrant it."

Her heart jumped. She felt instantly sick and, without thinking, pressed her hand tight over her rolling stomach.

"Don't you think me getting mixed up with Billows is bad enough? I didn't know who he was when I was sixteen. I'm not sixteen anymore, Andrii. Making bad decisions would be insane. I'm in over my head with Billows and don't see a way out. I know I told you I was just waiting to get out from under him, but I haven't really figured out how. Not and stay alive."

She looked down at her hands before once again meeting his gaze. "I don't need to jump from the proverbial frying pan into the fire. I'm going to take a wild guess and say you're still working with your dubious expert skills."

For one moment a hint of male amusement lit his gray eyes, giving them a slightly silver appearance. For some unknown reason, when she was certain she should be annoyed by his sense of humor, that look made her heart flutter. Not just her heart. Other body parts. She was so susceptible to him.

"Dubious expert skills? Are you calling my assassin skills into question?"

She scowled at him, but it wasn't easy. She liked making him smile or almost smile. He wore an expressionless mask most of the time, so when he showed her emotion, she felt as if he'd given her a gift. "I wish I didn't believe you had those skills, Andrii, but I have no doubt that you do. I think you're very good at whatever it is that you do. I just don't understand why you do it, and I don't think I can live with it."

Once more she made an attempt to get off his lap. She needed to put distance between them. Surrounded by his scent, feeling his hard body, hot and muscular, made her weak. This was self-preservation.

His arms tightened, locking her to him. "Where are you going?"

"I think it's better if I sit across from you and figure this out. You're scaring me, Andrii."

He shook his head. "Don't start lying now, Zelie. Not to me and not to yourself. I don't scare you. You know I'd never harm you. You know it in your heart. You see me. Into me. You know I'm not capable of hurting you."

"But you hurt others." She sat stiffly in his lap, refusing to relax against his chest. That way lay disaster.

"I hunt pedophiles and traffickers, Azelie. The men and women who slip through the cracks and are never brought to justice. I don't run drugs or guns. I don't participate in trafficking. I don't have a stable of women. Most of my time is spent building things. Crafting with wood. Playing music. But there are times when we come across information that has to be acted on."

She didn't know what to think or feel. He was so matter-of-fact, completely honest, telling her that he hunted criminals and then executed them.

"Can't you turn these people over to the police?"

His hand swept down the back of her head, and then his fingers slipped into her hair as he gently massaged her scalp and the nape of her neck. "You need to hear me, Azelie. Everything I say. Don't get stuck on the concept of what I am. We hunt criminals who aren't being caught or punished. Sometimes we manage to take back a child, and sometimes we shut down a trafficking ring. We follow a chain of activity online and off in order to do that. These people would never see the inside of a prison, or if they did, they would manage to get out immediately."

She worked at not reacting, but at listening and hearing what he said. "It's vigilante justice, Andrii."

"I'm aware."

He didn't apologize for what he did. He expected her to understand that the women and children he saved were worth what he had to do to rescue them. Had someone known about Quentin and his proclivities outside his marriage and the fact that he relied on Janine's money to stay afloat, her sister, niece and nephew might still be alive.

"I need to give this more thought. I don't like it, Andrii. I don't understand what drives you." But she did. She had followed the sound of the woman screaming in pain below the clubs, and she would have done anything to save her. If she'd owned a gun, she would have shot Quentin to protect her family. That was her nature. Despite her reluctance to make decisions, she would have been utterly decisive about emptying a gun into her brother-in-law if she had found out his plan. She would have done so before he pulled out a gun to shoot her sister.

It occurred to her that Andrii was hunting Billows. The thought had been growing in the back of her mind for some time. If that was the case, that meant Billows was into some extremely nefarious activities, worse than what she'd imagined. It also meant Andrii was using her to get to Billows.

"Your mind is working overtime. Share." He murmured it, his breath warm against the nape of her neck.

It was difficult to think straight when he was moving his lips against her skin, sending little sparks of electricity dancing through her. She detested that she was so susceptible to him. Especially now, when she worried that he was using her to get to Billows and it was probable that nothing was real about his interest in her.

Why would he be interested? She saw the way other women looked at him. He could have anyone he wanted. She came with enough baggage for ten people. It was all beginning to make sense now.

"I have to think this through."

"Think out loud."

That was a command uttered in that same low tone he used so often, but one he meant. Her gaze jumped to his face.

"Okay then, but I'm going to reiterate I'm uncomfortable sitting in your lap with you kissing my neck while I'm trying to figure out what's really going on here." She didn't attempt to move but stated her preference.

"I get that, baby, but I think you need a little extra care and reassurance right now. This talk is far from over, and we need to get past a lot of hard issues."

He sounded so sweet. As if what she thought and felt mattered to him. She was reluctant to tell him what she was thinking for two reasons. If she was correct, she would be shattered. If she was incorrect, it might hurt him.

"Azelie."

Just her name but a clear prompt to get her talking. She sighed. "It has occurred to me that you started a relationship with me because I work for Billows, not because you were interested in me."

Her stomach knotted in anticipation of his response. She knew the answer. She absolutely did.

Andrii's fingers were firm on the nape of her neck, attempting to ease the tension out of her. He felt strong and safe when she knew better. She'd been such a complete idiot. She'd wanted to believe the fantasy, and she should have known better.

"Does it matter how you caught my interest when I ended up falling right off the cliff? You're an astute, very intelligent woman. You have good instincts. What are those instincts telling you?"

"That I caught your interest because I work for Billows, and you're very interested in him. That's the reason you're here with me now."

"That's hurt talking. Self-preservation. It isn't what you know in your heart. Tell me the time we've spent together isn't real for you. I'll think you're lying to us both, but you can say it if you really believe it."

She parted her lips to respond, but he had already caught her chin and tilted her face up to his. His mouth came down on hers. It was a claiming. A branding. Not sweet and gentle, but a takeover. He demanded complete surrender. When he kissed her, her brain short-circuited. All thought vanished and there was only feeling. Pure feeling. Fire coursing through her. Need building rapidly. She was drowning in him. Immersing herself. Going over that cliff without looking first.

She found herself clinging to his shoulders, chasing his mouth when he lifted his head. He didn't go far, just pressed his forehead to hers while looking her straight in the eye.

"Did that feel fake?" He took one hand and curled her palm around the thick, heavy erection he didn't try to hide. "Does that feel fake?" He brushed soft kisses down her cheek to her jaw. "When I tell you things I've never told anyone, does it feel fake to you? Do you think I'm making it up for sympathy? Or to impress you? Just to get at your boss? Do you really believe that of me, Zelie? That I'm playing you?"

She didn't believe it. That was the problem. She should. If she had an ounce of sense, she would, but he sounded so honest. So utterly truthful. He looked her straight in the eye. Everything about him screamed sincerity, yet the things he told her—and she believed—all pointed to him being right there with her because he was hunting Billows.

"Billows is a criminal."

"He is."

"You hunt criminals."

"At times."

"It stands to reason that you're using me to get to Billows."

His thumb slid over her lips, featherlight, but that brush of his hand set her heart pounding. She felt it as if it were a burning brand. She didn't want to give him up, but she was concerned her heart was at war with her head.

"It makes perfect sense," he agreed without hesitation. "But I'm not sitting in this apartment with you because of Billows. I'm here because I want you in my life permanently, and I'll do whatever it takes to get you there and keep you safe and happy."

She did believe that he wanted to be there with her. She had to believe that. She would shatter into a million pieces if he was with her and such a good liar that she couldn't read him. She'd been so careful to learn how to read other people, and she had to rely on her instincts. Her instincts told her that despite what Andrii said about himself, he was a good man.

She needed to drop the Billows question for now and wait until she could process better. There were other important things she needed to know about Andrii.

"Are you prone to violence?"

"Absolutely. I was raised with violence. If someone like Billows threatens my family or friends, my first thought is to make the world a better place and take him out. What I do not ever do is harm an innocent, and certainly not someone I care about. Having said that, you and I will need to come to several understandings. That's why we're talking now. You need to understand that while I would never harm you, that doesn't mean if you got out of line, I wouldn't punish you."

"Out of line?" She echoed the one thing that she could safely address. He had alluded to punishments before, and she'd put that out of her mind. She knew they would be discussing it eventually, but she needed her wits about her. Talking about punishments on top of everything else was way too much.

"Out of line. Don't listen when it comes to your safety. I told you that to function properly and safely in my world, I need control. That means I have to know the person I treasure most in the world is safe. I need to know she trusts me to keep her that way. And when I ask her to do something for me, it's because I have my reasons and she trusts me enough to know that whatever is happening, I'll explain when I can. Or maybe I'm asking something of you because I need reassurance that I matter."

Azelie frowned. "You're confusing me."

"You won't be confused. I'll lay out the few rules we have, so if you break them, I'll know you did so purposely. That earns you punishment."

"I'm not a child, Andrii. I like to think for myself, not just follow someone blindly." She meant it, and yet what he was asking for didn't seem too big a deal—without the punishment part. Punishment wasn't attractive at all in a relationship.

"I don't want a puppet, Zelie. I think you already know that. I like the way you think. You have a good mind. You're intelligent. You're able to laugh at yourself, and you find situations with me amusing when others would be afraid. I love all that about you. I wouldn't change anything at all. You want to tell me off because you think I'm wrong, you do it. But when I tell you something to do, such as don't move from where you are because it isn't safe, I expect you to follow orders, knowing I wouldn't give you an order like that unless it was necessary."

Her frown deepened. "I doubt you're going to give me unreasonable orders, Andrii, most of the time. But I might screw up, and I'm not a woman who would find punishments sexy."

"Punishments aren't meant to be sexy. They're meant to be reminders never to screw up again."

" Exactly what would a punishment entail?"

He didn't flinch or look away. "You over my knee. It won't be erotic or sexy. It would hurt, but we'll both know you won't forget the lesson."

"Spankings may sound hot in a book, Andrii, but I wouldn't like it." She was absolutely certain of that. Absolutely.

"You aren't supposed to like it. You're supposed to remember to do as you're told."

Her heart was back to pounding. Hard. "What if you get out of control?"

"Baby, sit on the floor for me. Right in front of me." He helped her slide from his lap but kept his hands on her waist.

She was happy to get a little space between them, even if it meant sitting between his legs on the floor. She sat tailor-fashion, staring up at him.

Andrii's eyes lightened in color, almost to liquid mercury. "Control. That's something we need to discuss further."

She didn't know what that meant, but she had to bite back a whimper. At least it wasn't a moan. The way he said control , the way his eyes went dark with desire, sent her pulse racing. Heat rolled through her veins and emptied into a pool of melted lava right into the pit of her stomach and lower. That didn't bode well for her, but he'd been in control of the two of them when he'd had sex with her, and she'd reaped the benefits.

"When I tell you I want to be the one in control, I'm not just talking about in the bedroom. You trusted me to satisfy you there, and I did. I'll give you whatever you want or need—eventually. I like to play. I know you're going to like playing. Some of the things we'll be doing might be a little scary to you at first, but if you trust me enough, you'll find you enjoy everything we do."

"With the exception of your punishments," she whispered.

"Then don't fuck up. If you do, do it knowing what you have coming."

Instinctively, she'd pulled back, but he reached down to take her wrist, pulling her hand to his thigh. His touch was gentle but firm. She knew if she pulled away, his fingers would tighten. He couldn't fail to read her elevated pulse or feel the fine tremors going through her body. She felt mesmerized by him, under a spell she couldn't quite get out from under.

"You're asking a lot of me, Andrii. You want me to take everything on faith. That's a lot of trust when I don't really have any idea who you are or why you're asking these things of me. You have to know that it feels very one-sided."

He sighed but nodded, suddenly looking serious. "I guess now is as good a time as any to discuss our needs. I thought a date or two might be a good thing before I tell you what's important to me in a relationship. I want to hear what you need, but I'll admit I'm very good at reading you."

She blushed. The heat was alarming under her skin. "I don't think that's good, Andrii."

"Because you're attracted to me? I like that you're honest. No games with you. When I ask you a question, you answer me, even if it's difficult for you. You don't pretend you aren't interested in me, or that you couldn't care less about a sexual relationship. You show me every time you look at me that you want me. Do you have any idea how that can make a man feel?"

"Arrogant? Overconfident?"

He burst out laughing and her heart nearly stopped. She found him utterly attractive when he wasn't smiling, but laughing turned her inside out. She slipped further down that slippery slope of no return.

"I am confident because I have reason to be. And if that makes me appear arrogant, so be it. Just know you can depend on me to take care of you. Men don't fuck up around me. You aren't flirtatious with other men. When you're with me, you look only at me, and I appreciate that trait in you. Everything about you appeals to me." He stretched out his legs on either side of her, satisfaction gleaming in his eyes.

"See, Solnyshkuh , I wanted you in front of me, looking up at me with your incredible eyes, and you sat on the floor without hesitation. Most women would think it was demeaning or that I meant it in a negative way, as if I put myself above you."

Azelie didn't know how to respond to that. She liked looking up at him. It hadn't occurred to her that he might be elevating his position over her. If she didn't like something, she would simply refuse to do it—unless she decided she wanted to do it to make him happy. In that case, she would weigh what it meant to him before she decided.

She waited in silence, her heart pounding just a little out of control.

"The fact that you're willing to do things for me is important."

Andrii rubbed the bridge of his nose, a small frown drawing his eyebrows together. It was the first time he showed that he was uncomfortable with the conversation. Reluctant even. That made her strangely happy. She knew he was going to share something about himself he didn't share with others.

"You said you needed to be in control at all times. Not just in the bedroom."

He nodded slowly. "There especially. But when we go out together, it is necessary that you understand I'm in control, and when I ask something of you, you do it."

Her eyelashes fluttered, hopefully concealing the way she was feeling. Conflicted. Scared. Excited. She moistened her lips. Took several breaths. He was conveying something extremely important that would affect her. He was explaining how their relationship would play out. She needed to hear him and understand what he was saying so there would be no misunderstanding later. She realized Andrii wanted her to know exactly what she would be getting herself into with him.

"You need to tell me what that means." She sounded as conflicted and as scared as she was feeling. She didn't bother to try to hide it from him. "I'm not certain I understand what ‘at all times' means."

He reached out and slid his fingers through her hair. "It means exactly that. When we're together, and hopefully, eventually, we'll live together, because I want to be with you as much as possible. I had hoped to get you used to me before we had this talk, but I screwed up. I hadn't planned to take you to bed so quickly. I don't want just a sexual relationship with you. I want this chance with you. I think you want it too. That means we hash things out now."

She did want to explore the relationship; she just didn't know what he meant. What was expected. What she expected. She knew those fingers stroking caresses in her hair were meant to seduce her into doing as he wanted, but she was willing to feel every cell in her body coming alive. She was willing to be seduced in order to get the chance at a relationship that might be real when she'd only dared to dream of a man like Andrii.

"It means when I tell you to do something, I expect you to do it and not question me. I have my reasons, and you'll have to trust that no matter what I'm asking, I'll see to your protection and happiness. I need that level of trust from you."

She swallowed her nerves and looked up at him. It was a mistake to meet the vivid intensity of his eyes. His hand cupped her face and then slid around to the nape of her neck, sending a million goose bumps erupting all over her skin. Her stomach did one of those slow somersaults she associated with him, and she went damp, her sex clenching with need.

"That all sounds good, Andrii, until we circle back to your punishment. I'm not down with that at all."

Andrii's fingers tightened on her nape as if he could brand his fingerprints into her skin.

"If you disobey me, there will be consequences. Punishments. I need to know you're safe. I need to know you're willing to put me first, just as I plan to do with you."

Her breath left her lungs in a long rush, and she shook her head, an involuntary reaction. His fingers tightened.

"You need to know and believe that I would never hurt you. I'm not a man who would beat a woman." His fingers began a slow massage on the nape of her neck. "That doesn't mean a punishment wouldn't include pain."

She gasped and once more made the mistake of looking up at him. His eyes had darkened with desire. With lust. She could read the need in him for her to commit. To be part of him. There wasn't just desire and lust, there were hints of growing affection, maybe even more, although she couldn't understand how he'd developed genuine feelings for her so quickly. Just looking into his eyes made her want to give him everything he asked for without complaint or argument, but she wasn't that illogical or adventurous.

"Pain?" She echoed the word. Once again, her voice came out strangled.

Azelie did her best to ignore the way his touch soothed her. The way his eyes conveyed his need and desire. She was so scared, and yet at the same time, she desperately wanted to be with him, even when it made no sense to her.

"I told you I would have no problem putting you over my knee. Just know that the punishment wouldn't go too far, and afterward, I would see to your care. I'm not a sadist. I don't want to see lasting marks on your body, but I do want to know you would accept your punishment with grace if you fucked up."

She was involuntarily shaking her head again, but sadly, it wasn't because of the things he was explaining to her, it was because her body reacted in a way she didn't understand. She wanted to explore possibilities with him and that made no sense. The idea of him putting her over his knee because she'd chosen not to do what he asked, or she'd gone against him, scared the hell out of her. She wasn't down with that at all. She went her own way when she determined it was the right thing to do. She was bound to "fuck up."

"Baby, don't say no until you know how you really feel when I ask things of you. Giving up control doesn't mean giving up who you are. It simply means you trust that I'll take care of you and make the best decisions for us. You doing that for me, giving me whatever I need or want, means to me that you care about my happiness and you're willing to put me first. You doing that makes me want to give you everything you could ever possibly want or need. It also takes the burden of decisions from you. You don't like making them."

How could he know that about her? He was right. She was terrible at making decisions. She was the most indecisive person she knew. "But I'm working to overcome that flaw. I'm working hard at it."

Again, she looked up at him so he would see that improving herself meant something to her. She needed to feel empowered when for so long after her sister and the children had been murdered, when she'd been shot by a man who had helped to raise her, she felt worthless, alone and unsure of everyone and everything.

"I can help with that. You want to make decisions regarding our home, your school, your clothing—except when we're going out—I have no problem with that." He continued to cup her face with gentle fingers, holding her gaze captive with his. "Say yes."

"I want you to explain why you need these things from me, Andrii. It has to make some kind of sense when commitment for me is so scary."

"You commit to me, and I'll tell you as much as I can about myself. Anything you ask, I'll answer when I can, but I must have your word that you're in this with me all the way. Say yes. Be mine. I swear you won't regret it."

Her breath left her lungs in a rush. She couldn't look away from his compelling eyes. She forced herself to breathe. To think. No matter that he admitted to being trained as an assassin, she believed that he hunted criminals—ones falling through the cracks of the justice system. He found young children and women trafficked and freed them. Was what he did wrong? Probably. Vigilante justice wasn't a good thing, yet every instinct she had told her he was a good man. He hadn't exactly answered her when she asked him point-blank if he had approached her because she worked for Billows, but she had to admit that his question was a good one. What did it matter how he found her if what they had was the real thing?

She wanted to take the chance with him, when she'd never wanted to be with any man. The thought hadn't entered her head that she would ever trust someone enough to take that chance. But when she was with him, she found herself falling more and more under his spell.

She wanted to know about his past, what made him the way he was. She recognized that both of them had suffered trauma and at their core didn't trust anyone. Yet she found herself wanting to trust him. She wanted him to be able to trust her. Would it be so bad to at least try?

She started to nod, but he shook his head.

"Say it to me. Out loud. Speak it to me and the universe. Mean it, Azelie. Make that commitment to us."

"Yes." The word came out strangled. There were so many reasons to say no and very few to say yes.

"That's my brave woman."

The moment he gave her praise, she found herself responding even more to him. Was she so screwed up that having a man compliment her was all it took for her to want to give herself to him? She was agreeing to a relationship when she had no idea what that actually entailed. Azelie was caught in his spell despite her brain telling her to be cautious. To go very slow.

Andrii bent his head toward hers and her breath caught in her lungs. His kisses were killer. She wanted to get lost in his kisses, so she wouldn't have to think too much about what she'd just done. To her disappointment, he brushed his lips on the tip of her nose and released her. As he leaned back, his hand slid down her arm, causing a flurry of hot little sparks of electricity to dance over her skin. His fingers settled around her wrist, a bracelet, a handcuff, a tie between them.