Page 28 of Knight’s Salvation

He surprised her by running gentle, barely there fingers down the side of her face and across her jaw. “You’re beautiful.”

Was he going to kiss her? She didn’t move, didn’t breathe, wanting to taste him more than anything she’d ever wanted in her entire life.

His hands moved to the wall, either side of her head, and his gaze dropped to her mouth.

Oh my God.

He leaned in.

She forced herself not to squirm as his lips hovered above hers for several seconds, his breath mingling with hers. It took all her strength not to close the gap. But finally, he did, his lips coming down on hers, dry and soft and warm.

His entire body jerked at the contact, and he went completely still, breath puffing in and out of his nose.

Please, don’t stop.

But he didn’t. Slowly, ever so slowly, he opened his mouth. Mia’s heart was pounding when he finally made a rough sound and ran his tongue across her top lip.

She moaned.

His big body shuddered. “Open,” he said against her mouth.

She did as he asked, and his tongue slid inside. He kissed her deep and slow, and somehow she managed to keep her hands at her back and not shove them in his hair and hold him to her, or under his shirt to feel the heat of his skin. He savored her, explored, nipped and sucked until she was dizzy and her legs trembled.

When he finally pulled back, she wanted to scream. She didn’t know what had caused him to seek her out, didn’t care—all she knew was she didn’t want him to stop. Maybe she didn’t have to leave. Maybe he wanted her as much as she did him. People didn’t kiss like that without feeling something, right?

His head was down again and she couldn’t see his face. He was breathing heavily and his big body shook. “Zenon?”

“Thank you,” he rasped.

She blinked up at him. “For what?”

He shook his head.

He was thanking her with a kiss, like she had him. Only this was a whole hell of a lot more than the peck she’d given him.

Did he know the hold he had over her? He’d ignored her, literally pushed her away, and within a couple of weeks he’d shattered her defenses, had her ready to change all her carefully thought-out plans. Without even trying, and after doing his damnedest to make her hate him, he’d somehow become important to her.

But despite that kiss, she knew he would never let her in. Could already feel him pulling away. Desperation gripped her. “Zenon, I don’t have to go. I can stay.” With you. He sucked in a ragged breath and shook his head. God, she was such a fool. She wished she could tear those words back.

“You need to go, Mia.”

“What was this? Some kind of joke? Punishment?”

“I’m a selfish bastard. I just…I needed to know what it was like to kiss you before you left.”

His voice held so much pain it hurt to listen to him. “Why?”

He shook his head again. “I have to go.”

“Why, Zenon?” Her voice sounded shrill, panicked, and she couldn’t do anything to stop it.

He ignored her and stepped back.

Finally, he turned away and left.

And somehow she found the strength to stay where she was.

She would not go after him.