GUARDED FLAMES

CHAPTER SIX

NIKOLAI

i couldn’t sleep.

not after that.

her body pressed against mine, her mouth soft n wild at the same time… god, it was too much.

she wasn’t just a girl anymore. she was a fire i couldn’t put out.

i paced my room like a maniac, heart hammerin in my chest like i’d just come outta war.

why did i kiss her again? why did i let my hands go there? i knew better.

but her skin—f**k. her skin was soft as sin.

and the way she looked at me after, like she wanted me to finish what i started… it was burnin in my brain.

i had to cool off. fast.

so i stormed outta the house and went straight to the range. needed to shoot. needed noise in my head that wasn’t her moanin in my ear.

i loaded the clip and started firing. pop. pop. pop. sharp. fast.

but it didn’t work.

nothin was workin.

“you look like s**t,” came a voice from behind me.

i turned. it was Leo. one of the guys on security. smug bastard.

“go away,” i muttered.

he just laughed, walked closer. “you kiss her yet?”

i froze.

he noticed.

“s**t, you did, didn’t you?”

i gritted my teeth. “don’t talk about her.”

Leo lifted his hands like he was innocent. “hey, man. not judgin. she’s hot. wouldn’t blame you for tappin that.”

i saw red.

before he could even blink, i had him pinned against the wall, forearm on his throat.

“don’t. talk. about. her.”

he choked a little, eyes wide. “okay—okay! damn.”

i let him go.

“stay away from her,” i growled. “you so much as look at her the wrong way, i’ll break your fuckin jaw.”

he stumbled back, coughing. “noted.

i walked off, chest still tight, fists still itchin to punch something.

i wasn’t just ducking losin control.

i was fuckin unraveling.

and the worst part?

a sick, twisted part of me liked it.