King of the Underworld by RJ Kane

Chapter Eleven
Sephie
I didn’t want to stop the kiss, but I knew I needed to stop the kiss. I pulled back from him and looked at him, expecting him to look angry that I had stopped. Instead, he almost looked like he was in a trance. I could feel his strong, but soft grip on my hips. I just scanned his entire face. He was so handsome. His blue eyes always so intense that I felt like he could see inside me. I lifted my hand to his face and traced my finger along the features of his face. His thick eyebrows, his long cyelashes, his cheekbones, his stubble that was as pleasant against my skin as I had originally thought, his plump lips that felt so soft against my own. I didn’t understand it, but I felt safe with this man. I shouldn’t. I knew I shouldn’t. He was the king of the criminal underground of the city. People feared him. Most people didn’t even know his name. Yet, he told me his name without hesitation. He sent his personal bodyguards to protect me from a man I thought was just a do*uchebag, but as it turns out, probably wants to kill me now. He made a special trip to my apartment to bring me arnica. He could easily have hundreds of women that would likely throw themselves at him, but he’s standing in my kitchen after putting cream on my bruises like I was going to break. Little does he know how insignificant these bruises are compared to what I’ve endured in the past.
I leaned my forehead against his, my thoughts still racing through my head. I inhaled and sighed. I felt him wrap his arms around me even tighter and pull me as close to him as possible. It was such a small gesture, but I found myself fighting back tears once more. I just wanted to stay like this for as long as possible.
A knock on the door meant that moment didn’t last nearly as long as I was hoping. Adrik kissed my forehead before walking to the door to see who it was. He unlocked it and opened it, stepping aside for Misha to enter the apartment.
“Ivan just got a call. New lead on Anthony. This one looks promising, so he wants to go check it out himself. It’s close
by.”
Adrik was quiet for a moment, while he pondered this news. “You stay. Ivan can take Stephen and go check it out. Do not engage. I just want him to gather information right now.”
“Yes, sir,” Misha said as he left the apartment, closing the door behind him. Adrik walked back over to me, placing himself in between my legs again.
I was biting my bottom lip, worried about what I had just heard Misha tell Adrik. He swiped his thumb over my bottom lip to get me to stop biting it. “Don’t worry. We will find him.”
I was trying to keep it together, but I was scared. I just nodded and stared at my fidgeting hands. My legs started to shake, despite my attempt at composure. He had his hands resting on my thighs, which meant he felt the shaking. Without a word, he scooped me from the counter and carried me to the couch. He laid me down on the couch but lifted my shoulders so he could sit, and I could use his lap as a pillow.
“You should be resting, not worrying,” he said as he settled into the couch beside me. I laid my head in his lap. He reached for my hand and intertwined my fingers with his. With his other hand, he rubbed my forehead gently. “We will find him.”
I tried to relax with his words. I closed my eyes and concentrated on his warm touch against my cool skin. His fingers moved into my hair. “Can I take your hair down?”
Without opening my eyes, I reached up and pulled the elastic out of my hair. My hair fell in a pile across his lap. I felt his hand return to my hair, running through the long strands. It wasn’t very long, and I had fallen asleep again.