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“Good. The more security, the better.”
“People died tonight, Alek. Things feel… I don’t know, like they’re only going to get worse from here.”
He brings his fingers to my chin, forcing me to look at him. “I will not let anyone hurt you.”
“I think I’m in a bit of shock.”
“Vodka will help with that,” he answers with a devilish smirk. “Let’s have our fill, and when you feel better, I have a surprise waiting for you in the basement.”
“For me? But it’s your birthday. I’m the one who has a surprise for you.”
His eyebrow quirks in curiosity. “I hope it involves you in my bed tonight.”
I smile. “Trust me, it does.”
“And now I have you all to myself until morning,” he says. “But the night is still young, and we have a party to get to.”
Curling up into his side, I lay my head on his chest. His heartbeat is steady in my ear, and I close my eyes, meditating to the rhythm.
“Let’s stay here a little longer, just the two of us. Is that okay, birthday boy?”
He presses a kiss into my hair. “Of course, malishka. Take all the time you need, because I need you alert for what’s next.”
His words are chilling, sending a shudder through my limbs.
Alek and I remain in the study for a while longer, sipping on vodka and cuddling on the couch. I shouldn’t feel safe in his arms knowing what he’s capable of, but with so much uncertainty happening outside, his embrace is comforting.
The bass of the music thumps dully behind the walls, and every so often I hear raucous laughter. Guilt creeps in when I realize I’ve been keeping Alek from his own birthday party.
“Let’s go join everybody,” I say.
I untangle myself from him and stumble onto my feet, but Alek has to steady me before I tip over. He’s up in a flash, gripping my shoulders.
“Are you drunk already?” he asks with a chuckle.
I giggle. “Maybe a little.”
“Have I mentioned that dress is driving me wild?”
I glance down at the black, satin dress I’m wearing. I picked it out for him because it leaves little to the imagination. Spaghetti straps lead into a low neckline, and the slits on the short skirt ride dangerously high.
“Wait until you see what’s beneath it,” I say.
He licks his lips, his eyes devouring my body. “Then let’s get my surprise over with so I can rip it off you.”
God, I can’t wait for him to get his hands on me.
Alek leaves the study with me hanging on his arm for support. When we enter the living room, we earn ourselves a few curious glances. After Alek went ballistic on Johanna, I’m certain the school thinks there’s something going on between us, despite us keeping our relationship under wraps.
But secretly, I’m ecstatic Alek isn’t doing anything to quell the rumors right now. He’s keeping me close, signaling to the party I’m off-limits. Everyone can believe what they want about us, even if they think I’m just a fling.
Because Alek and I know the depth of our feelings for each other.
“Are you ready for your surprise, malishka?” he murmurs in my ear.
When I nod, he flags down a group of his older friends hanging around the keg. They obey without question and approach.
No one speaks as Alek leads me to the basement door, and the guys follow us down the stairs into a room with rustic wood paneling from floor to ceiling. A massive four-poster bed sits beneath a set of antlers mounted to the wall, and sofas sit around a crackling fireplace, bathing the room in an orange glow. It has the atmosphere of a cozy cabin.
