Page 25 of Queen of Misfortune (Shadows of Redemption)
I’m stunned not just that this is happening, but that I’m not doing anything about it. His mouth moves to my cheek, soft and fleeting. My heart thunders in my chest.
The bags drop and my fingers fist in his crisp white shirt.
“That’s right,” he whispers.
Footsteps approach. His head turns slightly, and I follow the direction. I see two figures pass, their glances sharp and assessing.
Donovan’s mouth travels to my jawline, a whisper of contact that sends delicious sensations over my skin and my eyesfluttering closed. I'm a bundle of raw nerves, every sense heightened, every neuron firing under his touch.
And then he’s gone.
As quickly as it began, it ends. He pulls away, a gust of cold air rushing in to fill the void. I feel like I’ve been doused in cold water.
"Let's move." Urgency laces tone as he grabs my bags and guides me with a firm hand at my back toward the SUV.
Humiliation fills me. And because of it, anger wells. Not just at him for causing me this humiliation, but at myself for wanting more of his touch.
He ushers me into the car. It pulls away even before the door is shut.
I let out an exasperated breath.
"Are you okay?" He sounds genuinely concerned.
I look at him, and I don’t see any hint that he was affected by our closeness. The humiliation grows.
“I’m fine.” I bite out the words.
"Fine," I lie. I turn to look out the window, wishing I could be like him and think nothing of his touch. But the imprint of his lips still burns against my skin. It’s like a brand that has marked me as his.
I don’t speak to him the rest of the ride, or in the elevator up to the penthouse. I go straight to my room, trying to ignore the fact that he’s on my tail.
Right outside my door, he says, “By the way, you won’t be going out anymore. Whatever you need, ask Maria. She can get it for you.”
“You’re not the boss of me,” I say, although I don’t know why. Reality proves me wrong. I open the door and rush in, hoping to shut him out.
His hand shoots out, stopping the door from slamming in his face. “Don’t test me on this. You know who those guys were,right? You understand what’s going on. Your father, the Abate men, others who want to bring Niko down, they’re all out there waiting for an opportunity, and like the spoiled brat you are, you nearly gave them one. You get that, right, or has life in Italy made you soft?”
I smirk. “If they came sniffing, it was because of you, Donovan. No one cares about me.”
His brows narrow. “That’s not true.”
“It is. I’m nothing in this game anymore. I’m certainly nothing to Niko or you. You proved that.”
He continues to look at me like I’ve grown an extra head. “How did I prove that? I had your back all afternoon. I’ve had it since we’ve met.”
“Right. When you kidnapped me? Tied me up? That was having my back?”
He gives me a sheepish smile.
“One thing is for sure, you don’t have to kiss me to protect me.” I try again to shut the door, but he prevents it, stepping into my room.
“I didn’t kiss you.”
“Yes, you did!”
His brow furrows and the mortification grows deeper. God, did he forget? Am I that forgettable?
“You kissed my neck, Donovan, and my… my jaw—” My voice breaks, the humiliation of it all bringing tears to my eyes.