Total pages in book: 53
Estimated words: 52062 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 260(@200wpm)___ 208(@250wpm)___ 174(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 52062 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 260(@200wpm)___ 208(@250wpm)___ 174(@300wpm)
A lone witness.
A snowstorm that traps them together at Christmas.
I was in the wrong alley at the wrong time.
And I saw something I shouldn’t see.
One gunshot.
One dead man.
And one cold-eyed killer staring straight into my soul.
Nikolai Morozov.
Bratva Pakhan.
A gorgeous, merciless nightmare.
He kidnaps me to a remote mountain lodge where a blizzard locks us inside
Just the two of us—and the secrets he refuses to explain.
He says it’s for my safety.
But the way he touches me?
The way he closes the distance between us?
The way his voice drops when he calls me malyshka?
There’s nothing safe about it.
If you love a morally grey man who turns ruthlessly protective for the woman he loves, and a winter romance that goes from fear to filthy obsession, then prepare to devour this in one sitting
*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************
1
HOLLY
Just get through the next hour.
You are a professional.
So your ex is over there with his hand on your boss’s ass.
So you worked your butt off to make this opening night of his exhibition a huge success while he’s over there pawing at the woman who signs your pay checks.
I swipe a glass of champagne off the passing waiter and down half of it, watching Julian's hand run up and down Vivian's Gucci-covered ass as they laugh with some art rich collectors near the ice sculpture. The sculpture is shaped like a Christmas tree, already melting under the gallery’s heat and dripping steadily into its silver basin. Exactly how I feel right now. Slowly coming undone in a room full of people celebrating the man I caught fucking my boss in her office yesterday.
A man who, for the last two months, seduced me into believing he was a nice guy as we worked together to bring his art exhibition to life.
A man who shrugged it off when I walked in on him balls deep in my boss.
I cringe at the memory and take another mouthful of champagne.
I’m not sure what hurts more. The fact that it only took him a mere two months to worm his way into my feelings. Or the fact that neither he nor Vivian seem the slightest bit remorseful.
I admit, it wasn’t love. To be honest, I’m not sure just how much I actually liked him.
But seeing their public displays of affection when he was my boyfriend a mere twenty-four hours ago still stings.
I drain my glass of champagne and dump it on the table of canapés behind me and wonder how much longer I have to keep watching this spectacle.
I just want to get back to my apartment, kick off my shoes, and dive headfirst into a tub of Ben & Jerry’s.
Christ, now his hand is drifting up and down her thigh.
"You look like you could use this," a deep voice says beside me.
I turn toward the voice, and my eyes collide with a pair of the most piercing blue eyes I have ever seen.
Sweet baby Jesus.
I shamelessly drag my gaze over the handsome stranger in a suit before realizing he is trying to hand me a glass of champagne.
“Oh, thank you,” I say, taking the glass from him and trying not to stare at a pair of lips that look like they’d kiss you right into nirvana. “Is it that obvious?”
“No, you’re doing a good job at hiding it. Very professional. I’m just very good at reading situations.”
I smile before lifting the glass of champagne to my lips and taking a big mouthful.
"What did he do?" the stranger asks, his voice smooth, with just a hint of an accent. Russian, maybe.
"Who?" I ask, turning back to look at him, and again feeling a jolt when I see that chiseled jaw line that would make Henry Cavill jealous.
"The man you've been murdering with your eyes for the last ten minutes."
A bitter little laugh escapes my lips before I can stop it. "A giant mistake."
“I see. Looks like you dodged a bullet.”
“Yep.” I take another large mouthful of champagne. "I'm usually good at reading people. But somehow this loser managed to slip through."
“You’re good at reading people?”
“Just like you can read situations, I can read people.”
"Now I'm intrigued.” The stranger's beautiful eyes gleam with interest. “What do your instincts say about me?"
“I’m not going to tell you.”
“Why not.”
“Because a girl needs her secrets.”
He smiles, and oh Lord, it is the most devastating smile I have ever seen.
“Come on, you’ve piqued my interest,” he says.
Across the room, Julian glances in our direction, and does a double take when he sees me talking with Henry Cavill 2.0.
“Fine…” I say, turning to face the stranger. I study him. Take in every detail. He's an easy six-four, with broad shoulders and what looks like a muscular body beneath his suit. His dark hair is cut short, probably regularly, although it’s slightly too long and touches the tip of the collar of his crisp black shirt. His cheekbones are sharp, his lips full, and those eyes. God, those eyes. They’re as bright as lightning.
"You take good care of yourself. Your suit fits perfectly on your frame, probably custom made, which suggests you like fine things. It’s snuggish, but not so snug that it screams douchebag. You like the best of the best. So it’s lucky that you’re rich. But you’re not just rich, are you? You’re ridiculously wealthy. But it’s not old money. It’s new money. Earned through hard work and a vision. A tech billionaire, maybe. Or pharmaceuticals, perhaps." I drain my glass of champagne and set it on a passing waiter's tray. "That or you're in the mafia.”
One perfect eyebrow lifts. “What else?”
“You don’t suffer fools, at all, and people are afraid of you, even if they don’t show it.” I lick my lips and his eyes track the movement. “You’re focused and determined. And the slight curve of your lips when you listen to me talk tells me that you are used to getting exactly what you want.”