Total pages in book: 141
Estimated words: 130955 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 655(@200wpm)___ 524(@250wpm)___ 437(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 130955 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 655(@200wpm)___ 524(@250wpm)___ 437(@300wpm)
“You said you wanted to apologize,” he said and walked past Radek, to a sofa covered with a checkered blanket. There hadn’t been much thought put into the style of the interior, even if the chairs, the coffee table, and all the cabinets were antiques made of natural wood. A carpet hung behind the sofa, its Turkish pattern jarring with the antlers and deer skulls on the wooden walls. The space was cozy despite its outdated look, and smelled of homemade stew, almost as if Radek were visiting someone’s grandma, not his new local arch-enemy.
Yev was being so friendly it bordered on suspicious, but truth hit Radek with its obviousness. Yev had said he didn’t fuck drunks. And Radek wasn’t drunk anymore. He knew exactly how to spite Yev without using the mouse.
“Yep. I overdid it yesterday. The truth is that you saved my life. I could have gotten lost and frozen to death out there in the forest.” He stepped closer, and the hairs on his nape bristled as he took a whiff of his next prey.
Yev’s nostrils flared, and he stood closer to a cabinet full of books and old board games. Was he hungry for his dinner, or did he also wonder what they could do now? Alone in this secluded cabin.
“Yes. You could have. Where were your friends when you went off on your own?” he asked, and his eyes, clear as polished steel, sent Radek a sharp glance.
Another bitter reminder that Jan hadn’t followed him, and had fucked another guy while Radek was gone. “They must have lost sight of me. They’re not… like you.” He dared to take a step closer, and while this was a game with the ultimate goal of bringing Yev down a peg, his heart beat faster at his proximity. Yev was almost a head taller than him, at least six-foot-five, and Radek was no tiny thing, even if slender.
Yev’s lips twitched, and he took the wine out of Radek’s hand before placing it on the table. “Like me?” he asked, glancing at the fireplace decorated with dark brown tiles. The wood behind the glass screen cracked, as if it wanted to warn Yev of the inconspicuous predator who had invaded his home like a fox about to storm the chicken coop.
“You know. Mature. Decisive.” Radek poked at Yev’s chest. “I’d go as far as honorable.”
He could sense a change in Yev’s scent, could almost hear his body hair bristling, but he stayed still, smiling up at the giant who had so easily carried him last night. The bastard.
“You still have those on?” Yev asked, taking hold of Radek’s hands to look at the two metal cuffs around Radek's wrists. How were his hands so big? Larger than Radek’s by at least a third.
Radek shouldn’t have been flushing like an idiot. He wasn’t here to fuck Yev. He swallowed. “You got me. I was hoping you could take them off?”
Yev smirked, grabbed one of the cuffs, and pulled, making the metal cry out. And then it was open—just like that. “It’s this flimsy thing.”
Radek stared at it with his heart racing as if it were a fox and had a pack of wolves on his tail. He’d tried to pry the cuffs open himself earlier and failed miserably. “Thank you,” he uttered and stood on his toes to plant a peck on Yev’s lips. He needed to kick-start his plan fast, or the tables might end up turned against him.
Yev stilled, his eyes meeting Radek’s as he freed the other hand and dropped the cuff to the floor. He smelled as if he’d spent the entire night by the fire, dropping herbs in until the smoke soaked into his hair and clothing. It was such a warm, pleasant aroma. So honest and earthy. “That’s… okay,” he said, still hesitant, as if he had some further moral objections against following up on the attraction that was clearly there.
Which was frustrating. How was Radek to reject him, if Yev didn’t make a move?
“You live here on your own?” Radek trailed his fingertips over the top of Yev’s hand, teasing his wrist when he slipped his pinkie under the cuff of the sweater. So maybe this was coming dangerously close to taking that first step, yet at this rate, he’d be punishing himself by leaving.
“Just me. I’m… single,” Yev said, taking a deep inhale while leaning closer, almost as if he were about to sniff him. Radek had never been a sucker for accents, but Yev’s soft words, spoken in a raspy, low voice, were surprisingly sexy
He couldn’t remember feeling this overwhelmed by the closeness of any man since his first time. Maybe it was the warmth of this room, or the soothing mix of smells, but he knew he would melt into this guy if he didn’t pull away now.