That night, Yulia clings to me with a passion bordering on desperation, and I realize my questioning brought back some bad memories. I know I should leave her alone, let her live in the present the way she clearly wants to do, but the questions keep gnawing at me, and I finally give in.
“Have you ever slept with a man of your own initiative?” I ask as we lie tangled together after a long bout of s*x. By all rights, I should be sinking into sleep, but my body hums with energy and my thoughts keep returning to this topic.
Yulia stiffens in my arms. Turning over, she pulls back to look at me. “What do you mean? I was only forced that one time—”
“I mean, did you ever date anyone who wasn’t an assignment?” I say, placing my hand on her hip. “Go to bars, clubs? Hook up with a guy just for fun
