Stay Close (For You 1)

“I’m not saying no,” I tell him, taking a bite of my sandwich. He does the same, and I can see his mind working as if putting something into play already.

I watch him eat, unable to stop looking at the tattoos on his hands. I reach out to touch one before I think better of it. He freezes at my touch on his bare skin and twitches like I’ve hurt him.

“Does that bother you?” I ask, tracing one of the tattoos on his hand. He looks as if he’s searching for an answer, or maybe he doesn’t want to give me one. “You flinched,” I say, pushing for something.

“I’m used to pain when someone touches me.” Once again he says it so easily, like it’s no big deal. It’s then I know Ivan’s life is darker than I ever thought possible, and something about that makes me want to touch him more, slide even closer, show him that isn’t true and that there is softness in this world. If you asked my family, they would say I’m the definition of it.

“I’d never hurt you,” I tell him.

“I think you could hurt me more than anyone ever has.”

My eyes snap to his and we stare at each other. I feel the warm breeze on my cheeks and the sun shining between us. His agonized dark eyes are a stark contrast to what’s happening inside me. I feel as if I’m coming alive, bursting into being.

“People are watching. They don’t think you belong with me,” he whispers.

I look around the school and see he’s right. People stare at us, but they have to know he’s allowed to be here. No one gets on school grounds without going through the proper protocol.

“It’s time to get back to class, krasotu. I’ll be waiting for you after.”

Chapter Six

Ivan

It’s after three in the morning and I can’t sleep. My body is used to it, though. I normally only need a couple of hours and I’m able to function. But I can’t pretend the reason I’m awake isn’t the green-eyed beauty who sleeps not so far away.

I run my thumb across my phone screen and stare at the messages she sent me.

When I drove her home after school, her sister was there waiting. Pandora and I haven’t spoken, but I see the way she looks at me. She’s smart, and she knows her twin. I kept my distance and didn’t interact with Penelope all evening. I went outside and only watched her from afar until Paige and Ryan came home. Afterwards I went to the guest house and worked out in the gym there.

Around eleven I got the first one.

Penelope: You still awake?

Me: Da.

Penelope: You didn’t say goodbye.

Me: I made sure you were safe.

Penelope: That’s not the same thing.

Me: I will say goodbye to you from now on.

Penelope: You’re very agreeable. ;)

Me: For you, I would agree to many things.

Penelope: Send me a picture.

Me: Almost anything.

I smile at the words, knowing they came from her.

I push out of bed and walk down the hall to the gym again. If I can’t settle my mind, I’ll hone my body. The room must have been two bedrooms at one point, but a dividing wall was taken down to create a large workout space. Floor-to-ceiling windows span the length of the room, showing a view of the garden separating my house from the main one. Right now, it’s bathed in moonlight, and though it should be eerie, it’s peaceful.

I don’t turn on the overhead light. Instead I let the glow of the moon cast shadows across the floor as I walk barefoot over to the pull-up bars. I’m dressed only in black boxer briefs, but I don’t need anything else for what I plan on doing.

I walk over to the long steel beam and jump up, gripping it with both hands. My feet are maybe an inch off the ground and I’m only about a foot from the window. I spread my hands wide, working the muscles in my back and shoulders more. I begin to pull my body up, the burn across my chest and abs tightening. I count out, and after about twenty I feel the sweat start to trickle down my spine. I should stop, but I keep pushing myself, willing the image of those green eyes to stop haunting me. I grit my teeth and grunt, looking beyond the glass and into the trees.

I stall myself halfway into the next rep when I catch a glimpse of something moving. I let go of the bar and drop down to my feet, scanning again to see what it was. It may have been an animal or a trick of the light, but I could have sworn I saw a flash of red.

Stepping up to the glass, my heavy breath fogs up the view. I wait for what seems like a long moment, watching the steam disappear, and as it lifts, I spot her. She’s on the edge of the trees that separate the yards, sitting on the edge of the small fountain. Her dark red hair cascades down her back, and her bare shoulder glows in the moonlight. She’s wearing a tank top with shorts, and her long, creamy legs are tucked under her. I can see the edge of her delicate toes, and I lick my lips. An ache, deep inside me, longs to kiss her there, to kiss every little curve of her body and caress the hidden secrets beneath her clothes. I’ve never wanted something so innocent for myself. Before Penelope, I wouldn’t have dared ruin something so perfect and pure, but my desire for her is outweighing any honor I held.