1.2 | The Prince of Thieves

Chapter 23

She hadn't told him about her meeting with Val. She wasn't sure how he would react. For once, she was in his position, and realised maybe he would be better off not knowing certain things. But, that would have made her just like how he had been. How ironic, she thought. Maybe such was the agony he experienced whenever he felt he had to protect her.

She had woken before him, for once. He slept soundly beside her, his face just turned slightly to her side of the bed. She felt like burrowing under the quilt with him – that bare, outstretched arm was a tempting invitation – but then decided against it when she gave her little dresser clock a glance. There was half an hour before his alarm would ring. He was such a light sleeper, he would wake the moment she touched him.

But her worrying was all for naught. His eyes cracked open just then and his brow creased.

'You alright?' he murmured, his voice heavy with sleep. His hand found her hip under the covers, and she obeyed the beckon, creeping back beneath the quilt to his side.

His arm stretched out around her back and she automatically snuggled to him. 'Did I wake you?'

'No,' he muttered, with the brief appearance of a sleepy smile before his eyes shut again and he turned himself to her, one leg curled around hers.

Hana found that she loved lazy mornings like these. No orchestra practices to rush to, no meeting Osuke before the sun rose to open the tofuten for the morning crowd, no sitting in freezing soundproof rooms to practice endlessly until her fingers bled. Right here, right now, it was just them, holding each other. Being held by him, she thought, was one of the best feelings in the world.

'Lyonya,' she murmured, her mouth close to his neck. He bore a homey scent with hints of his pine soap and the laundry detergent that they used for the clothes. He had a hand on her back, gently tracing a path up her spine to her neck. 'What do you think about the Udinov's now?'

'Why?' The hand faltered at the base of her skull and his eyes flew open. Then his thumb traced her skin along her jaw to come to a stop at her lips.

'I – just...wondering.' Her heart was beating furiously in her chest. His heady scent, her own anxiety, the touch on her mouth; they were all making it hard for her to breath.

'Just wondering?' he questioned. Despite the teasing tone, she could tell that he was thinking beneath.

'I met Val by coincidence yesterday,' she admitted carefully. 'When you were speaking to Sofia.'

'And?' His fingers were scalding on her neck and she felt herself stop breathing.

'We spoke for a while,' she said. Her hand caught his wrist. If last night was anything to go by, they'd be in bed past breakfast. 'I don't think he's against you. He clearly still cares for you.'

'Darling,' he murmured. 'It doesn't matter whether he stands by me or not. The head of the Udinov faction is Aleks Udinov. Val doesn't fully have the support of his father's men. Some of them doubt his intentions because he neglected his own family by serving me. I can't count on his support.'

'So, why exactly did he leave?' That was something she still didn't understand. Wasn't it such a huge risk? Then again, Val would one day have to return to his own family, wouldn't he? Better now than later.

Leon drew his arm back, evidently having given up on his early morning seduction attempts. She wasn't responding to him; not until he answered, though it had been a tough battle to ignore his heat. Anyway, he didn't appear to want to give her a straight reply.

'He's his father's only child,' he said as he rolled onto his back and stretched and yawned. The stars on his shoulders were a harsh black on his tan skin. 'It's between him and Yuri.'