Page 53 of The Bratva Betrayal

“Oh, I know.” She grins at me. “And this bikini is all I need, Artem Makarov, to get you down on your knees.”

A rough laugh leaves me before I can stop it.

Cocky little liar.

But Christ, she looks good standing there saying it.

I push away from the wall, watching the exact moment her attention sharpens as I close the distance between us. “You think that’s all it would take?”

Her chin tips up another inch. “I think you’ve been staring at me for the last twenty minutes like you want to commit several felonies.”

“That’s not an answer.”

“It’s close enough.”

I stop in front of her, letting my gaze drift over the red bikini before settling back on her face. “You’re playing a dangerous game, Lisichka.”

“There you go with that word again.” Her eyes move briefly to my mouth before returning upward. “You love threatening women.”

“I don’t threaten women.”

“You shot at me yesterday.”

“Prove it.”

I reach out before I think better of it, fingers brushing lightly along the warm skin of her arm.

Just once.

Still, her breath catches.

And that’s all I need.

Because now I know that she feels this too, no matter how polished she acts about it.

My thumb slides slowly along the inside of her wrist before I curl my hand around it loosely, testing the boundary.

She lets me, and I’m dangerously close to crossing a line.

“You know,” I murmur, lowering my head. “If you actually wanted information from this family, you picked the wrong brother.”

Her eyes narrow just a little. “Didn’t we already have this conversation?”

“Maybe… but I don’t think you listened.”

“And maybe I think you’re too obsessed with yourself.”

A faint smirk pulls at my mouth. “Possibly.”

I let my fingers drift higher, tracing lightly over the soft skin of her forearm, watching her carefully while I do it.

Watching for rejection, hesitation, or any sign that she cares about betraying Misha.

“What are you trying to prove right now?” she asks softly.

“That you’re curious.”

“About what?”