The Darkest Temptation (Made 3)

“Kotyonok . . .” Ronan chuckled. “My dick’s inside you, and you’re crying about your papa.”

It sounded a little silly when he said it like that.

“I was just—”

“I know what you were trying to do. And it was sweet. But there’s still a big difference between you and me.” The nautical star tattoos on his shoulders glinted black in the sunlight. “You’ll never ask me for more than I can give.” Darkness clouded his eyes, and his hand collared my throat, a thumb running across a hickey he’d put there. “I’ve already taken everything you have to give.” I held his gaze, my heart a battering ram pounding against the wall of my chest. “And now, I’m going to take a little more.”

tacenda

(n.) things better left unsaid

My breath was still ragged, Ronan having just rolled off me. The simple action left me cold inside, and to distract myself from the heavy feeling, I needed to either leave or strike up conversation. I chose the latter.

“What did you tell me you did for work that night when I asked?”

“I went into detail about my chimney sweep business,” he answered lazily.

I blinked. “You’re kidding, right?”

“Nyet.” He chuckled and ran a hand through his hair. “Never thought a woman would throw herself at me after I told her I made minimum wage.”

A blush rose to my already flushed cheeks—even now, while lying naked beside D’yavol. “I didn’t hear you.”

“I know that now. You were too busy working up the courage to maul me.”

“I did not maul you.” I frowned. “That’s such an aggressive word.”

He laughed. “You were beyond sweet all night. I didn’t expect at the end of it you’d practically beg me to fuck you in a public hallway.” Then he added thoughtfully, “I almost did.”

That was why he pushed me away so suddenly. I loved knowing I had such an effect on him even though he was supposed to despise me because of who my papa was.

I rolled to face him and braced myself on my elbow. “Did you really think I would have believed you were a chimney sweep?”

“I don’t know,” he drawled, dragging his amused gaze to mine. “You looked at me like I was a god. I think you would have believed anything I told you—being a chimney sweep included.”

There were a dozen reasons he would never pass as a manual laborer—his obvious wealth number one. Though how I decided to confirm I wouldn’t have believed his lie was to roll my eyes and say, “There’s no chance you’d fit in a chimney.”

He laughed deeply. “My apologies for underestimating your deductive reasoning skills.”

I fought a smile. “Apology accepted.”

As I held his dark gaze, the amusement faded, and a tense silence worked its way into the room. It sat so heavily on naked skin and my heart, I suddenly felt the need for space. But again, Ronan grabbed my wrist.

“Where are you going?”

&n

bsp; “To my room.” It came out a little breathless.

“Why?”

“To take a shower. And then to scrounge around for a snack since you ruined my breakfast.”

“Nyet,” was all he said before releasing me.

“No?”

“Yulia is bringing up some food. You can shower in my bathroom.”