The Emperor (The Tarot Club 2)

“Are you fucking kidding me right now?”

“Unions have been made on less.” His whispered words should have been filled with romance - lust, even, but instead, all I got was cold practicality. For all I knew, this could be the equivalent of an exchange for Dimitri - the pure fulfillment of another expectation.

My palms burned hot against his chest as I pressed my hands against him and shoved myself away, stumbling out of the bed - away from him.

The sun hit my naked frame and even through Dimitri’s annoyance, I saw the match of desire ignite there. Well, at least I knew he wanted me - I always had that.

I turned away from him, noting that the sun was much higher than I had initially thought. Shit - that meant that I had overslept, which also meant that I was late on giving Dimitri and Ravi their pain medication - which was probably why Dimitri was awake.

This was a disaster.

Resigning myself to my mistake, I stepped into the bathroom, my work from the night before flooding back to me as I halted in the doorway.

As expected, the floor was covered in wax, each melted candle having seeped into the other. If I wasn’t so annoyed, I may have appreciated the art of it all, but I didn’t have time for this - not when I heard the rustling of the covers, indicating that Dimitri was a few feet behind me.

“What the fuck happened here?” His breath grazed the back of my neck, the heat radiating from his post-sex body sent shivers down my spine, and I felt my nipples harden in response.

I turned abruptly. Pushing past him as I grabbed my phone, needing to photograph and send it to Zoey for her take on it before I cleaned it up. I didn’t offer Dimitri an explanation, choosing to work instead.

I also didn’t take the ring off.

I knew what that said about me - I knew that I was a certifiable mess.

After sending Zoey the pictures, I ignored Dimitri entirely as I carefully plucked up each protection bracelet, placing them in individually labeled bags.

“You can use my bathroom.” I called to Dimitri as I squatted down and began peeling the wax from the tiled floor. Once we had both showered, I would give Dimitri his pain medication, and then hopefully he would be less of an asshole. Doubtful, but worth a try.

“You made protection bracelets.” Dimitri’s tall naked frame stood stock still in the doorway as he watched me work, and I hated that even when he was such an asshole, he was still so appealing.

I refused to answer him, needing some space to wrangle my thoughts and emotions under control. Not all the wax gave way immediately and it soon became apparent that I would have to scrape a lot of the smaller pieces off. And while I wasn’t certain about what was happening between us, I also didn’t want to damage the ring.

“Don’t take it off.” Dimitri’s aggressive tone had my fingers stilling against the band as my gaze found his.

I swallowed the need to yell at him - scream at him - disagree with him, even. He walked towards me on steady legs, but my chest still squeezed as my gaze snagged on the dark purplish bruise that flowered near his ribcage. He was hurt and angry and confused, and yet on some visceral level, he still wanted me.

His fingers grazed the bottom of my chin, forcing my gaze to clash with his, as he raised me from my crouched position on the floor with his hand on my jaw. I brought myself to my full height, and still he towered above me, a breath of air spanning the space between our nakedness.

His free hand slid towards the band on my finger, and although he held me firmly in place, I knew that if I truly wanted to break free from his hold, I could.

“Just say yes.” It was a plea - an acknowledgement. “Don’t be fucking difficult about this - just say yes.”

I blinked, swallowing past my now parched tongue.

“Are you asking?” I hedged the question hesitantly.

“No.” His voice was gruff and firm.

My heart stuttered at the way he gazed at me - the ramification of it all - the truth in that statement. Because he was gasping for air just as much as I was. Did he view me as his life raft - as his saviour? Because if he did, we were both doomed.

Dimitri pressed his forehead against mine, causing my breath to catch in my throat. He smelt of us - of what we had just done, but he also smelt of uniquely Dimitri, and it was difficult to think past his scent - it was difficult to think at all with his hands on my naked flesh, searing the answer into me.

“Say yes.” His lips parted as he breathed the plea. If I hadn’t been as close to him as I was, I may not have heard it.

“Yes.” I exhaled. It would have always been a yes - the cards had said so themselves.