Page 44 of Fractured Ties

He had other things to do right now.

Maya cleared her throat. “So, if I stay like this—”

“Quiet, timid, and meek.”

“Yes, that—then what would happen? Would you lose interest and send me on my way?”

Kolya barely had to think about it and his answer was already on the tip of his tongue as he shook his head. “No, I would just see how much pushing and bending and prodding it would take to break you of it. I’m told that I am good at that—breaking people, I mean.”

He didn’t miss the widening of her eyes.

The way her throat clenched.

Her parting lips.

None of it.

He saw it all.

“And what does that mean?” Maya asked.

“Probably nothing good.” Kolya chuckled, adding, “Who’s to say it wouldn’t be different for you, no?”

“I—”

“Let’s go find you beautiful things, Maya. You deserve beautiful things.”

Kolya didn’t give her a chance to argue or asking something else. Instead, he pressed his hand to her lower back, and moved her further into the store. He didn’t miss the warmth from her body soaking into his palm, or the shiver that worked its way up her spine.

Oh, she did well to hide it.

But he knew, too.

Kolya wasn’t going to have to force this woman to do anything—certainly not to get her into his bed. She was going to come there willingly once she got her feelings all sorted out about this strange situation of theirs.

It was almost comical how settled he was in what he had done to Maya—taking her like he had, and still without regret. He was fine with waiting on her, too. He didn’t mind letting her come to the same conclusion he already knew even if it was only brought on by nothing more than his spark of interest, and the fact he took her with him without giving her a choice.

She was his.

And he was going to enjoy every second he had to wait for her to figure it out, too.

It was what she did with it that might make all the difference.

• • •

Konstantin stepped into the townhouse a week later, not looking any worse for wear considering his last conversation with Kolya had been his brother bitching at him. Then again, maybe Konstantin was used to that, considering how most of their conversations ended up going.

Who was he to say?

“You handled that issue, then?” Kolya asked.

He headed for the living room where his favorite baseball team was losing by five runs. Konstantin followed behind, although, not silently.

“The bear is in his new home—a sanctuary out west.”

Kolya didn’t care about details.

Just that it was handled.