Another tease.
Victoria’s heels clack against the marble as she takes a hesitant step forward.
“Maxim?” Her hand hovers over mygi, right above my heart. “When did you get that?”
Bitter satisfaction floods me at her proximity, until I frown down atmy chest where I realize what has her so horrified—one of the dozens of scars I’ve accumulated over the years.
“Does it matter?”
“That one’s red,” she protests. “It looks recent.”
I tip my head to the side. “Why are you here, Victoria? To study my scars?”
Temper flashes in her eyes as she tosses her hair off her shoulder. “Why shouldn’t I be?”
Even more confused—and aroused, dammit—I demand, “What do you mean?”
“I’m yours, aren’t I?” she thunders. “You warn off any other guy who comes close. Inessa never sees you with a date at the galas you attend?—”
“Are you jealous,pchelka?” The idea’s laughable.
Why would I settle for anything less than my queen?
“I don’t know why I bothered!”
When she twists on her heel, I snag her wrist in my hand. My thumb settles above her pulse to find it racing.
Her mask is crumbling.
“Tell me why you came to my home.”
The order has her bristling but, eventually, she meets my watchful eyes and holds my stare. “Ineededyour help.”
My brows lift at the past tense. “And the dress?”
“Is it against the law to look good now?”
“We both know you look more than good, Victoria.” At her sniff, I chuckle, then coax her to calm by stroking my thumb over the tender flesh of her pulse point. “Are you going to a party?”
“No.”
“Don’t lie,” I chide.
“I’m not lying,” she half-spits, wrenching her arm from my hold. Her hands punch the air on either side of the hips I long to cup. “Is it so hard to believe I wanted?—”
When she falters, I let the silence fall between us until, breaking the stalemate, I rumble, “Wanted what?”
“I’m not a child anymore, Maxim.”
“Ah, so this is proof? You having a tantrum in my foyer?”
“You bastard,” she croaks.
I tsk. Snag her hand again. But this time, I press a kiss to her knuckles and gently squeeze her fingers. “Wait here.”
I amble over to a small closet tucked away beside the entrance and retrieve a box frominside.
When I pass it to her upon my return, she frowns but dislodges the lid.
