Sunny Larkspur's Arc

Chapter 6 of 6

The overalls hit the floor. Sunny sat over Viktor, her weight pinning the mattress. He stared up at her, then looked away. His jaw tightened. His hands stayed flat at his sides. She knew that look. She had seen it before, when she first bared her arms and he froze like a boy caught stealing. Viktor wanted her. But the wanting shamed him. A man who came here to kill did not know how to be held. "You keep looking at the wall," Sunny said. "Am I ugly?" "No." His voice cracked. "You could break me in half." "I could." She smiled. "That scares you." He said nothing. His fists curled and uncurled. She saw the fight in him, the pride that would not let him reach up first. He would lie there ashamed until sunrise if she waited. So Sunny stopped waiting. She took his wrist in one hand. Her fingers wrapped it easily. She lifted his arm and pressed his palm flat against her shoulder. He gasped. His hand trembled on her skin. "There," she said. "That wasn't so hard." "I can't," Viktor whispered. "I came to your door to hurt someone. Not this." "I know what you came for." She leaned down until her face hovered over his. "I'm choosing this instead. So are you, right now." He stopped shaking. His eyes met hers and held. The shame did not leave him, but something stronger pushed past it. His hand slid from her shoulder to the back of her neck. "Say it," she said. "I want to stay," he said. Sunny kissed him. He kissed back, rough and clumsy, gripping her like a man afraid she might vanish. She let him hold on. For once she did not pin him or lift him or set him down. She let him choose to stay. When she finally pulled back, his chest heaved. He looked younger. Less angry. "You've never let anyone win a fight against you," he said. "You didn't win." She grinned. "You gave up. There's a difference." He almost laughed. Then they held each other in the dark.