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One of Vlad’s komissiya colleagues calls for his attention. He leaves my side, and Arman wraps his arm around my waist. He smells fantastic, a captivating mix of amber and vetiver with a trace of vanilla—complex, mature, and mysterious, much like him.
“You look phenomenal,” he tells me.
“I should.”
“Ah, you mean because you spent so much of my money?” Arman lets out a throaty chuckle and pulls me closer. “I saw the credit statement, and I don’t give a fuck. I have cash to burn, so bleed me dry, Lili. My wife deserves no less.”
His breath is warm against my neck as he whispers in my ear. “Every dime was worth it, but you’d be temptation personified even if you showed up in sweatpants. You walked in and made every woman here invisible.”
He’s toying with me. There are legendary beauties here tonight—daughters and wives of influential, beautiful people. I’m just a girl wearing heels I can barely walk in and caught up in a situation I’m ill-equipped to handle.
“You’re full of it,” I hiss. “And don’t hold me like that.”
“Like what?” I squirm in his grasp, and he takes my chin in his hand, steadying my face. “Look at me. People are watching.”
Panic flares in my chest, tightening my lungs. People are looking at me? No.
“Don’t,” I gasp. “Stop it. I have to—”
“Shhh.” His arm around my waist loosens. “Keep your eyes on mine and focus on your breathing.” He applies gentle, rhythmic pressure to my hip. “Feel that?” he asks. “Count in your head. Breathe, baby girl.”
I let his eyes hold me, and instead of overwhelming me, my anxiety recedes like a tide. My surging adrenaline suddenly drops, and Arman supports me as my legs go weak. I wrap my arms around his neck, struggling to stay upright.
“Oh, Arman,” I whisper. “Don’t let me fall.”
“Are you kidding me?” He releases my chin, slides his hand to my cheek, and draws my face closer to his. “I’ll never let you fall, my Lili. Never.”
The touch of his lips is electrifying. His mouth is soft, and I’m powerless to do anything but yield to his kiss. My body melts against his, and I feel his heart pounding in his broad chest. The tip of his tongue seeks mine, sending a jolt of energy through me. He growls into my mouth, deepening the kiss and asserting his control over me.
Don’t let him take advantage of you like this, for God’s sake!
I break the kiss, but he holds me in place. “How can you kiss me like that just for show?” I ask, tears threatening the corners of my eyes.
Arman usually only looks at me this way when he thinks I’m not watching. It’s something to look directly into his eyes up close and see that deep, almost hypnotic attention focused on me.
“I didn’t kiss you for them,” he says. “I kissed you for me. I needed to satisfy my curiosity.”
“What curiosity?”
He smiles. “I had to know what your lips taste like, tsvetok. Yes, you hate me now, but it didn’t make me any less desperate to find out. If anything, it made me more determined.”
His arrogance annoys me, but I’m acutely aware of the entire length of his body pressed against mine. As he slides his thigh between my legs, I’m ashamed to feel my core throbbing in response.
Dammit. My virgin pussy is clearly a complete slut for him.
Arman senses my tension and begins to speak, but a shout interrupts him. It’s Morgana, Vlad’s wife and my close friend. She’s getting loose, her jumpsuit strap slipping.
“Have you finally decided to admit your feelings, Arman?” she asks.
Arman releases me from his embrace and takes a step back. “Give me a break,” he says in a lowered voice. “Don’t act like Vlad hasn’t explained the situation to you. This is a marriage of convenience.”
“Sure.” Morgana waves her wine glass at him. “So all those long gazes were just in my imagination. How about that possessive rage whenever you thought Lili was in trouble? All those times you indulged her every whim?” She pokes him in the chest. “And you used to hide and listen to her play the piano without her knowledge. Every time she practiced, you’d sit out of sight on the stairs, lost in the music.”
Wow. Did he really do that?
“You’re a trip, Morgana.” Arman playfully wags a finger at her. “Don’t drink too much. I’ll catch up with you both later.”
He makes a break for the other side of the terrace, where Sasha and some of our associates are gathered. I watch him go, and Morgana chuckles.
