Free My Russian Nightmare by Danielle Sibarium Page A

not?”
    “Because…” I see the lump in his throat bob as he swallows. “I haven’t been Dante in a very long time. Not since I left here.”
    “You’ll always be Dante. My Dante.” He brushes the hair that’s fallen in front of my face back behind my ear. He’s gentle. Kind. He’s Dante. “I knew you’d come back. I’ve missed you so much!”
    Without thinking, I reach up and kiss his cheek, trailing soft, quick kisses to his lips. I lean against his hard body, the body that’s been beckoning me all day. This explains the crazy thoughts I’ve been having about him, the relentless pull toward him. I must’ve known, must’ve sensed who he is. I can’t think of anything now except how this isn’t enough. I want more. I want all of him. And I want to give him all of me.
    “I won’t hurt you, Kiera. But that doesn’t mean you won’t still get burned.”
    “You’re worth the risk.”
    He lets go of me and steps away, balling his hands into fists, shaking his head. “I’m not. I’m no good for you. No matter how much I want to be.” His voice drops. “And I really want to be.”
    A cold chill surrounds me. I’m craving the warmth of his arms. I feel my heartbeat thrum in my chest, in my ears, in my throat. I want him to hold me again.
    “I won’t tell them if that’s what you’re worried about. I won’t get you in trouble.”
    “You’re worried about protecting me?” he asks, looking stunned that I’d say such a thing.
    “If that’s what’s holding you back.”
    “You sweet girl.” Quick as lightening, he grabs my head and his fingers thread through my hair as he leans down so we’re eye to eye. His large caramel eyes are pained. There’s something in the way he looks at me, something sad and troubled in his eyes that clenches my heart tight. “You’re so beautiful. Inside and out. I don’t want you to protect me, I want to protect you. It’s all I ever wanted to do, and I fail at it, every time.” 
    “No. You’ve always protected me. You kept me safe from Sammy and the creepy man that tried to kidnap me when we were kids.”
    I’m surprised at how close to the surface this memory is. Luckily Dante was in the bathroom at the time and on his way back to the main dining area. He heard the man ask me to help him find his lost puppy. I started walking with the man, but before we made it to the front door, Dante alerted my father. The man left me and ran away as fast as he could.
    The creepy man came back a few weeks later. Once I recognized him, I tried to get back to the kitchen, but he grabbed my hand and pulled me to the door. Again Dante interceded, grabbing my other hand and pulling me in the opposite direction while screaming for the creeper to stop. This time my father hopped over the counter with a baseball bat.
    Mommy came and ushered us to a booth in the back. After thanking Dante, she brought us each a hot chocolate and sat with us. I shook and trembled, my teeth sounding like castanets. After that, I wasn’t allowed in the main section of the diner unless my parents were there. Otherwise I had to stay in the kitchen, or with Mommy. But I didn’t care, because I was safe and it was because of him. The man standing in front of me.
    “Kiss me,” I say in a breathy voice.
    “I shouldn’t.” He leans his forehead against mine. I feel his breath on my lips, and it ignites a longing I’ve never felt before.
    “Please?” I place my hands on his face. It’s hard to breathe. I need him like I need oxygen. I can’t believe I’m asking him to do this, but I can’t let this moment pass. I imagined it all through my teenage years. I promised myself if I ever saw him again, I’d find the courage to kiss him.
    He was cute as a boy, my first crush. But those days are long gone. He’s no longer a boy, he’s a strong, sexy man with striking features. And what I feel right now is a lot stronger than a schoolgirl crush. It’s pure unadulterated lust.
    “If I kiss