64

[REBECCA]
I stared at Artemy in complete shock, my lips parted in astonishment. My gaze moved from his and to the sofa chair where the jacket sat.
“How?” Looking back at Artemy, he stared at me with knowing eyes.
Realization sank in and my stomach dropped. I brought a hand up to my neck and rubbed it nervously. His eyes tracked my movement and then he cleared his throat.
“You were the one who kept the jacket there?” I questioned, my voice barely audible. I had asked the question but the answer was already clearly written on his face. Artemy’s face softened at my question and he gave me a sharp nod.
Shaking my head, I tried to get rid of the web of confusion. “But how?”
Artemy let out a tiny sigh and raked his fingers through his hair, a sign of either nervousness, frustration, or anger. But in this moment, I didn’t know what he was feeling.
“I heard you and Lynda talking. When she asked you about my jacket.” His eyebrows furrowed when I took a step back.
“Rebecca-”
He cared.
And that wasn’t something I expected from Artemy. Not from a man who was supposed to be ruthless, heartless, and a killer.
Tears blinded my vision and I swallowed past the heavy lump forming in my throat. This moment felt surreal. A fragment of my imagination.
But it was real.
I opened my mouth to say something. Anything. I just didn’t want this moment to vanish. I didn’t want to lose this feeling that was blooming in my heart.
But when I finally spoke, my words came out as an accusation. “You were spying?” I asked.
I flinched at my own tone and I saw Artemy’s eyes widen before his back straightened in a rigid posture.
“I was not,” he replied, looking very much affronted. “I heard you and Lynda when I was walking down the hallway.” He paused and then rubbed his jaw, giving me a sheepish look. “Well, I did stop when I heard Lynda ask about the jacket. I was curious.”
He shrugged and walked toward me, stopping right in front of me. Artemy brought a hand up and trailed a finger down my cheek, swiping my tears away. “Can’t blame me. Anyone would be curious.”
Cupping my cheeks in his hands, Artemy tilted my head up. “Why are you crying, Rebecca?”
“You gave me your jacket,” I whispered brokenly and then closed my eyes. I sounded so pathetic.
“I did,” he agreed. I felt his thumb right under my eyes and he rubbed the spot gently. Instinctively, my hand came up and I grabbed hold of his jacket in a death grip, holding him close to me. Artemy was my anchor.
“Open your eyes,” he muttered. My fingers tightened around him and my eyes fluttered open with his soft command.
“But you won’t need it anymore,” Artemy said. His words rang with finality and I shivered in his arms.
“What do you mean?” I murmured. He smiled at my question and bent down, brushing his lips gently over mine.
“I’d rather show you,” he whispered against my lips before claiming them in a hard kiss. He let go of my face and brought his hands down, wrapping them around my tiny waist as he pulled me closer into his body.
My body molded to his. Hard against soft. His hold was unyielding as I returned his kiss with just the same intensity. I was lost in him when he pulled away and I moaned in protest. “Shhh. I’ve got you,” he muttered through the hazy fog that clouded my thoughts.
Artemy bent down, sliding an arm behind my back and my knees before lifting me up in his arms, cradling me to his chest.
“What?” I said.
He chuckled low in my ear and placed a kiss there. “Relax, Rebecca,” he soothed, his voice deep and rough.
At his words, I instantly relaxed in his arms and wrapped my hands around his neck. “Where are you taking me?”
“You ask too many questions,” he said. Artemy looked down at me, his lips tilted up in a small smirk, his eyes gleaming with intensity-the same intensity that made me weak in the knees and my heart flutter every time.
“But…”
His arms tightened around me in warning. As Artemy walked us down the hall and stopped in front of his bedroom, I didn’t have to ask any questions. He didn’t look down at me when he opened the door, but I saw a ghost of a smile on his lips.
He walked inside and kicked the door shut. As soon as we were in the middle of the room, he lowered me down until my feet hit the floor. Artemy turned me around so that I was facing him.
“You won’t be needing my jacket anymore because you will be sleeping with me.”
I knew it was coming. I knew what he would say but the words still took me by surprise. “Artemy,” I whispered, taking a step closer to him. He cupped my jaw and rubbed his thumb over the curve. I pressed my cheek into his palm and a sigh of contentment whispered past my lips.
“But why?” I asked, wanting to understand him further.
Artemy smiled wide and rested his forehead against mine. “I had the best sleep last night,” he said.
I moved closer. He was the same as me. I melted into his body, his sweet words, soft eyes and gentle touch taking over my senses.
“It’s simple. You need me, and in some ways, I need you too,” Artemy continued, his gaze intense. I swallowed hard and brought my hand up, placing it over his. “You…calm me.”
Just like he was my peace…I had the same effect on him.
Bringing my other hand up, I placed it over his cheek. “You bring me peace. I don’t know how. But you do. You make it all go away. The pain. The darkness. The hurt. I feel peace when I’m with you.”
I saw Artemy smile and he slowly brought his lips down to mine. “I know,” he whispered back before taking my lips. He moved his hand to the back of my head, holding me firmly. His kiss was soft and sweet.
“We should go to sleep,” he said, pulling back. His voice was husky and rough. The way his eyes glinted dangerously in the light, I knew that was the last thing he wanted to do.
But I was grateful he stopped there. I wasn’t ready for more. Whatever was between us at the moment…it was already too much.
Artemy let go of me and I stepped back. “I need to change. Get yourself comfortable.” He nodded toward the bed.
I watched him go into the bathroom and close the door behind him. As soon as he was out of sight, I moved back to his bed.
I still remembered the first time we met, his eyes filled with fury and his gun pointed at me.
All I could see now was affection in his soft gaze. All I felt were gentle caresses. He was no longer the killer I met the first time.
He might be a monster out there, but to me he was my savior. My anchor.
Moments later, he returned wearing only grey sweatpants, his chest bare
“Oh.” My mouth fell open as I took him in, my gaze drawn to his muscular body. Lean, big, and hard. He was sculpted, beautifully rugged. Intense, dark, dangerous.
There were still some droplets of water on his perfectly tanned body. But what got most of my attention were the tattoos weaved around the length of his arms, ending just above his elbows. The most prominent looked Celtic and almost tribal in design but I couldn’t make out the other design.
It was dark, intense, and fierce…just like him.
Artemy walked toward me and my gaze roamed over broad shoulders and chest. He stopped in front of me and I had to tilt my head up. He was so big and powerful like this.
“Do you mind if I sleep like this?” he asked. “I usually sleep naked, but I thought you wouldn’t be comfortable with that. I can accommodate with the sweatpants, but I hate sleeping with shirts.”
“Umm…right.”. Shaking my head, I tried to find my voice. “I mean, yes. I’m okay with this.”
Artemy brought his hand up and trailed a finger up from my jaw to my ear, moving my hair to the side. “Good.”
He leaned forward until his lips were right next to my ear. “Let’s sleep,” he said, placing a kiss there before stepping away. He had a smirk on his face and he wasn’t even trying to hide it. His blue eyes gleamed with a devilish glint as he nodded toward the bed.
Instead of standing up, I pushed myself back on the bed and crawled backward until I was on the right side, close to the window. Artemy followed my each and every movement, his eyes burning brighter with intensity.
My fingers tightened around the comforter and I swallowed hard, my body trembling slightly under his fierce gaze. He must have seen my nervousness because he cleared his throat and looked away.
I turned toward the window, purposely facing away from him.
I heard him shuffling around the room and then the lights were off, casting darkness around the room, with only a tiny glow coming from behind me.
Thank goodness. I hated sleeping in the dark.
The bed moved under his weight as he got in. The comforter shifted and then I felt his heat next to me. We both stayed silent, unmoving. Only our slow breathing filled the room. I placed a hand over my chest, trying to calm my pounding heart, hoping he didn’t hear it.
Then he moved closer. My heart stuttered as I waited for his next move. I bit on my lips when I felt his arm around me.
Artemy pulled me into his body until my back was against his front, tangling his heavy legs with mine as his arm curved almost fully around my body.
“Artemy,” I whispered, my heart going wild in my chest.
He brought his face next to mine and I felt his lips at my temple. When he said nothing and his breath evened out, I placed my hand over his, which was wrapped around my stomach.
“Artemy?”
His arm tightened around me and he gave me a powerful squeeze. “Sleep,” he ordered, his voice soft even with his demanding tone. My hand pressed hard against his as I contemplated what just happened.
“Rebecca, stop thinking so hard. Sleep.”
At his words, I sighed and relaxed, settling into his body.
And that was how I fell asleep. With Artemy wrapped around me like a vine, his lips on my temple, and our hands entwined together.