Addy snorted audibly from behind us, like she couldn’t help herself.
“Claimed. That’s weirdly romantic, I guess. In a terrifying way.”
“I’m capable of both,” I replied smoothly. I kept my eyes on the dark road ahead and my pulse steady, except for the little tug in my chest every time she spoke.
Addy’s laugh was sharp and defiant. “You’re insane.”
“Yes. And you’re about to find out just how perfectly it pairs with being irresistible. I’m exactly what you need, Little Devil.”
Addy tried to glare at me through the mirror, but the way she chewed on her bottom lip gave her away. She was a glorious, chaotic disaster, and I was eager to explore every inch of her, take control of her, and consume her.
“You’re staring,” she whispered.
“I am.”
She groaned softly, half-embarrassed and half-turned on. I let this little thrill buzz in my chest like a live wire.
“You’re lucky I didn’t make you crawl to this car,” I said quietly, with a hint of playful threat in my voice.
“You’re lucky I like chaos,” she shot back. “I’d probably trip, kick you in the face, and ruin both our lives anyway.”
“Then I’ll just have to hold you tighter. I don’t care if you trip. You’re mine now,” I repeated, almost smugly, letting the words sink.
Watching her trying to maintain some illusion of control while every instinct in her body screamed otherwise.
The car dipped into the dark streets of Miami, humid night air pressing through the cracked windows, and I let my gaze flick back to her one last time before focussing on the road.
My gaze flicked to Kyrill, whose stoicism was cracking slightly under the absurdity of our passenger.
“She’s … something,” he muttered, as if speaking to himself, and I let the corner of my mouth lift.
“Yes.” I nodded. “Yes, she is.”
The SUV sped through the city, and, for the first time in a long time, I felt like I was both unstoppable and entirely consumed by the one person I couldn’t leave behind — even if the entire world thought I should.
Chapter 24
Sasha
Floridablurredintostreetlightsand salt-heavy air, the kind that stuck to your lungs and made everything feel slower than it actually was. Addy eventually stopped trying to maintain eye contact with me through the mirror, leaning her head back against the seat. She stared at the ceiling as though she’d boarded a plane she didn’t know she had bought a ticket for.
Kyrill sat next to me in silence, not glancing at my little devil again, which helped me to stay focused.
Addy lasted a whole seven minutes before she started talking again.
“So,” she said carefully, “are we going somewhere with a dress code? Because I’m pretty sure I didn’t pack more than three shirts.”
I watched her in the mirror. She was chewing the inside of her cheek. It wasn’t exactly fear, more like overstimulation.
“You’ll be fine.”
“That’s not an answer.” I could almost hear her rolling her eyes.
“It is when I say it.”
The closer we got to the marina, the quieter the roads became. Fewer cars also meant fewer potential witnesses. The city was dissolving into open stretches of dark water and dock lights flickering like lazy stars.
When we pulled into the marina, she sat up straighter.