Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 78264 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 391(@200wpm)___ 313(@250wpm)___ 261(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78264 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 391(@200wpm)___ 313(@250wpm)___ 261(@300wpm)
Her eyebrows furrow together before she whispers, “No one has ever asked my permission to kiss me.”
“I don’t want to make you uncomfortable,” I explain.
Fuck, this friendship thing is pushing me to my limits, but I understand it’s what she needs from me right now.
The corner of her mouth lifts. “I wasn’t aware friends kissed each other.”
“It’s a new thing,” I chuckle.
When she doesn’t give me an answer, I ask again, “May I kiss you, Abigail?”
Just as I worry she might overthink things, she nods. “Just a kiss.”
Christ, this is a huge moment. Don’t fuck it up, Vetrov.
Lifting my hands to her face, I frame her cheeks and take a moment to just look at her.
Fuck, she’s exquisite.
I feel the anticipation growing between us, and when she lifts her chin, I lower my head. As gently as I can, I press my lips to hers.
Slow and steady wins the race. Don’t push her too hard.
It takes all my inner strength to only nip at her lips once before pulling back. Giving her a thankful smile, I murmur, “Thank you, moya lyubov'.”
Her gaze searches mine, then she asks, “That’s the entire kiss?”
Letting out a chuckle, I pull her into a hug. “Yes, don’t be greedy.”
I feel her relax against me, and she lets out a relieved sigh.
You did good, Vetrov.
I get to hold her for a minute before she pulls back.
“Would you like to sit and talk?” I gesture to the sofa. “Or we can watch a movie?”
“I’d like to talk,” she answers. When I remain standing, she asks, “Can you sit down?”
My heartbeat speeds up so fucking fast when I see the tension tightening her features.
Fuck, did I push her too hard with the kiss?
Reluctantly I sit down, resting my forearms on my knees. I lock my hands together and suck in a deep breath, my eyes glued to Abigail’s face.
For a while, she stares at the carpet, then she whispers, “Do you know what happened to me?”
“Besides the beating?” My heart stutters in my chest. “I have my suspicions.”
Abigail turns her back to me and stares out the window again. I watch as she wraps her arms around herself.
I wish I could be the one to hold her.
But this moment is huge, and I won’t do anything that will stop her from opening up to me.
She takes a deep breath. Her voice is strained when she says, “This is really hard for me.”
“Take your time, baby.” I clear my throat before I add, “I think it will help a great deal if I know for sure what happened, that way, I won’t accidentally do something to trigger you.”
Abigail nods. “I’m struggling to say the words.”
“Why don’t you start at the beginning? Tell me what happened when your SUV was hit.”
My eyes don’t leave her as she gathers the courage to open up to me.
“Uhm…” she takes another deep breath, letting it out slowly. “The SUV flipped a couple of times. I was disorientated, but I heard their footsteps. They were talking in Japanese, so I didn’t understand what they were saying.”
Abigail pauses, rubbing her hands up and down her arms as if she’s cold.
“A man grabbed my feet and dragged me out of the SUV. He punched me until I lost consciousness.”
Jesus Christ.
Closing my eyes, I lower my head. This is fucking unbearable to hear.
Her voice is hoarse and nothing more than a whisper when she continues, “When I came to…” Her breathing speeds up.
Every muscle in my body tenses, and I swear my heart stops beating. My breathing stalls in my throat.
“One of them was on top of me.”
Fuck.
FuckFuckFuck.
I suck in a desperate breath of air as horrifying pins and needles spread over my body.
Unable to sit and listen, I rise to my feet. My eyes lock on Abigail as I slowly move closer to her.
When I’m right behind her, a strangled sound escapes her. With her head bowed to try and hide her face from me, she turns around.
Seeing the tears spiraling over her cheeks cuts me to the bone.
“You don’t have to say it,” I murmur.
Her head jerks as if she’s trying to get rid of the memories. Her jaw clenches, and I can hear her teeth grind against each other.
“I was raped,” she delivers the blow that changes my life forever.
It’s one thing having a suspicion, but it’s a whole different monster when it becomes a reality.
My woman was violated in the worst way possible. A fucking bastard took what wasn’t his to take.
The asshole in me rages because someone touched what’s mine.
The man in me is fucking appalled with my species. I’ve been raised in a family where women are treated like the treasures they are.
The soul who loves this woman unconditionally weeps for the vile act she suffered.
Uncontrollable rage tears through me like a savage beast. My body starts to quiver like a bow that can’t stretch any farther.