Page 23 of Bratva King

Veins traced beneath lightly tanned skin, hands that looked equally capable of comforting someone or breaking them. Hell, even his frown suited him. It wasn't fair, and she hated that she noticed. More than that, she hated how difficult it was to look away.

His expression softened by a fraction. Slowly, carefully, he extended one hand toward her.

"Come here,” Alexei commanded.

Natalia stared at the offered hand, then back at the ground below, and finally back at him. She could jump, although she probably shouldn’t. After several long seconds, pride finally lost the argument.

She slipped her trembling fingers into his. The moment their hands met, Alexei gave a firm tug. She stumbled forward with a startled gasp, expecting to lose her footing completely. Instead, Natalia collided squarely against his chest.

Alexei instinctively wrapped his arm around her waist to steady her. She hadn't remembered him being this solid, or warm enough that she became painfully aware of how cold the rest of her body was.

His gaze searched her face. "You're freezing," he murmured.

They stood impossibly close. She could feel the steady rise and fall of his breathing. She inhaled the scent of his expensive cologne, lingering cigarette smoke, and something distinctly Alexei beneath it all. He was near enough that if Natalia tilted her head, well. Natalia didn’t think, she simply moved.

Her lips found his. The kiss lasted only a heartbeat before surprise registered between them. For ten years she'd dreamt, and wondered what it would feel like. Whether she'd built it into something impossible inside her head. She hadn't.

Alexei made a quiet sound against her lips, one of genuine surprise before instinct took over. Alexei slid his strong hands to her shoulders, then he kissed her back without a shred of hesitation, and with the same intensity.

The world disappeared. For those few moments, it didn’t matter that he was Pakhan of the Volkov Bratva, and she took a contract on him. Only the proximity of their bodies mattered.

Soon enough, reality crashed back. Natalia broke the kiss first. She stepped back so abruptly she nearly lost her balance again. What was wrong with her? What was she doing, kissing him?

"What was that for?" Alexei asked, blinking at her in disbelief. A slow grin tugged at one corner of his mouth. "I mean ... I'm certainly not complaining."

Heat flooded her cheeks. So he enjoyed that as much as she did.

"I always wanted to do that,” she whispered.

His amusement faded into suspicion.

"Not because you wanted to distract me?” Alexei demanded.

His question stung. Then again, of course he'd think that. Truthfully, it was exactly the sort of trick she would have used to escape, but not this time. She slowly shook her head.

“No, that wasn’t my intention,” she said. "I've wanted to kiss you for a very long time.”

Hearing herself admit the truth made her cringe. For several seconds, Alexei simply stared at her, and his guarded expression softened in a way she'd never seen before.

“So,” Alexei ventured, and she noted his voice had become almost gentle again. "Tell me why I caught you trying to escape."

He took her hand once more, this time with far more care. She didn't resist, whether it was because of the kiss or because she was simply exhausted, she couldn't tell anymore. Every emotion she'd buried for ten years seemed determined to surface all at once.

Without another word, he guided her back inside. The walk to the bed felt far longer than it should have. Once she sat down, Alexei pulled the blanket over her before making sure she was comfortable. Only then did he look at her again.

“Natalia." His voice carried quiet authority. "I want you to promise me you won't try to escape again."

She gave him a tired look. "Am I your prisoner, then?"

"Not exactly."

She frowned. “What does 'not exactly' mean?"

A humorless smile crossed his face. "It means..." He sighed. "I'm not entirely sure what to do with you."

That answer surprised her.

Alexei continued, “My brothers think I'm an idiot for bringing you here."