Total pages in book: 22
Estimated words: 20816 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 104(@200wpm)___ 83(@250wpm)___ 69(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 20816 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 104(@200wpm)___ 83(@250wpm)___ 69(@300wpm)
He has just awoken a sleeping bear. “No, you offended my fiancée, and I don’t take kindly to that, Romano. You have a choice to back off or not, but I will not give you her.”
“Let’s not make a big deal out of this. The girl isn’t of any real consequence to you. You can fuck her and send her back if you really need to get your rocks off. I just need her as a bargaining chip with her stepfather.”
“Find another way to do a back-alley deal with him because I’d rather bury every single one of your men, yourself included, than give her up. That’s your choice.” I ended the call because he’d never admit defeat.
I turn her body, so she’s sitting sideways on my lap with her legs dangling off the left side of my chair. “What does your stepfather do?”
“You haven’t had time to look into it?” Damn that mouth of hers doesn’t know when to quit.
“I want you to tell me,” I insist, popping my hand on her ass. She gasps and then gives me a cute pout. “Are any of his businesses illegal?” I’m sure she has no idea if her stepfather is shady, but I still have to ask.
Honesty shines right through her that she couldn’t lie. “No. Edmond wouldn’t risk it.” Poor girl has no idea where her stepfather’s finances lie and if he’s as devious I believe the bastard is.
“It explains why he wants to use you as a bargaining chip. Your stepfather won’t play ball, and kidnapping you would do the trick.”
“Do you work with that guy?” She points to the phone.
“No. I don’t deal with Romano. He’s one of the people I would have associated with in my old life. Dangerous, powerful, and with no reservations about killing. I don’t have a problem with him except when it comes to you. If he comes after you again… my civility ends.” A soft smile comes over her face, but mine hardens. She has doubts which I understand, so no matter how painfully blue my balls get, this little heated sexual tension must be put on ice.
I lift her off my lap, take her hand, and lead her out of the room. “Time to finish dinner and head off to bed.” We enter the dining room, and I’ve lost my appetite. “Tomorrow, I’ll be gone most of the day because I need to rearrange the business meetings I left when I ran after you. Mikhail will be here with you. If you behave, you’ll be able to call your stepfather and tell him you’re safe.”
“And if I don’t behave.” There goes those challenges again, but I can’t tolerate her not following orders. It’s not safe at the moment for her to be trying to run away.
“You won’t call him.”
“God, you’re such a damn tyrant.”
“I want the best for you and unfortunately we’re in a tough spot, so please bear with me at least until tomorrow night after I get home from work.”
“Fine.” We finished dinner or at least what we could manage to stomach. We’re both in a bad mood and I find that I don’t like her upset.
“I’m done. I just want to lie down.”
“Goodnight, my precious Cora.”
“Goodnight, Dmitri.” She heads to bed while I continue to work on business matters that I put off. When fatigue hits me, I head into one of the guest bedrooms near mine. It’s not fully furnished, but all I need is the bed, so I undress down to my boxer briefs and fall asleep.
Chapter Four
Cora
The next morning, I’m summoned down to breakfast, so I wear just his shirt, smiling as I do so. It only reaches right below my ass and I’m playing with fire by tempting Dmitri.
When I entered the room, I watched his body stiffen up. I have a thousand questions for him, but the first one falls from my lips without any forethought. “How am I supposed to trust you?” He lifts his eyes from his plate.
His eyes rake up and down, focusing more on my bare legs. “You just will one day. I can’t say anything that will make you believe me. Like I told you yesterday, I spotted you in the piazza getting gelato from that fucking pervert who wanted you for himself. By the time I got down there someone else had their hands on you, and I did what I had to do to keep you safe.”
“You killed that man,” I said. It wasn’t a question, but I was looking for confirmation.
“And many others. That’s the kind of man I am and the man I’ll always be.”
My heart already knows the answer, but I need to hear it from him. “Will you hurt me?”
“I’d rather die, malyshka. For the first time in my life there’s a feeling I can’t describe when I see you, touch you, and just think of you. You’re mine whether you know it or not.”