Ciana didn't understand what came over her. One moment, she wanted to hide, to escape the confusion that bound her to him, the next, she found herself crossing the room, her heart hammering.
Her hands trembled as she caught Andreinov by the collar and pulled him into a kiss, fierce, desperate, unrestrained. The taste of surprise lingered between them, and for a heartbeat, neither of them breathed.
Andreinov froze, his eyes widening as if the world had tilted beneath his feet. But the silence that followed broke when she bit him lightly, a sharp, startled sound escaping his lips. Something in that moment shattered whatever distance remained between them.
He gathered her into his arms without thought, lifting her as though she weighed nothing. The kiss didn't end. It deepened, raw and searching, their breaths mingling as if they were both drowning in everything left unsaid.
