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He grabbed my arms to steady me, and the moment his skin touched mine, heat shot straight through me and smack dab between my thighs.

I bit my lower lip to suppress a moan just in time.

“Hey, Vera,” he said, smiling.

“Hey.” I stepped back quickly. His hands dropped to his sides.

“Where are you heading to?”

“Anywhere that's outside.” I inhaled. “I just need some fresh air for a while.”

He studied me for a few seconds before saying anything. “Since you need some fresh air, how about we take a short trip together?”

Warning signals went off in my head.

“With you?”

I was trying to forget this man, and now he wanted to go on a trip? One where I’d be stuck close to him, day and night?

Jaroslav chuckled, “That's what ‘we’ means.”

Was this his way of saying he wanted a repeat of last night?

“But, what about Lev? You're his underboss; he needs you.”

His expression was blank as he spoke. “After the little discussion I had with my brothers yesterday, Marten convinced Lev that I needed a few days off.” A smile tugged on the corner of his lips. “And I'd like to spend them with you.”

As much as I wanted to go with him, guilt tugged at me. I couldn’t shake the feeling that I’d gone too far yesterday. Maybe I should’ve handled Lev with more diplomacy.

“So…Lev’s still mad at you?”

Jaroslav ran a hand through his hair. “Yeah. Marten’s hoping a little space will cool things down. He’s holding things down for me while I’m gone.”

“I’m sorry,” I said quietly. “If I caused a rift between you and your brother…”

“Vera, it wasn’t you. And honestly…I’d rather not talk about it.” He held my neck while his thumb gently stroked my cheek. “What I want to know is, do you want to come with me?”

“Where exactly are we going?” I raised an eyebrow. “And please tell me you’re not using a U-Haul.”

Jaroslav laughed, deep and unrestrained, as he shook his head. He wasn’t much of a laugher, but damn, it was a sound I could listen to every day.

“I promise, no U-Hauls,” he said with a smirk. “But I haven’t decided where we’re going yet. How about you pack, and then we figure it out?”

I smiled. “A woman doesn’t pack then decide. The destination comes first…then she knows what to pack.”

“Alright then, let’s decide.”

“How about Florida?” I offered. “There are some great resorts with private villas instead of hotels. I’ll get that fresh air I need, and there’s enough to do that we won’t even have to leave the property, but we'll still have a good time.”

“Do you have a name? I’ll make the reservations now.”

“You don’t have anywhere you want to go?”

“Nope,” he said, completely unfazed.

I rolled my eyes with a smile, pulling my phone from my back pocket. I tapped on the resort and handed it to him.

“Here you go. I’ll start packing. Thanks, by the way.”