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Powerful.
Dominant.
Seductive.
And dangerous.
If it wasn’t for the last aspect, I’d be overjoyed in seeing him, as if I’d been gifted a delicious treat. Except for his arrogance and determination that I should surrender to him.
Just like I’d done the night before. Yet he was a different man today, as if the single taste of me had given him the right to tell me what to do. I’d known men like that existed. Every word out of his mouth irritated the hell out of me.
He’d indulged me with answers. How special of him. God, I wanted to hate him. I wanted to regret the night before but the little voice inside my head reminded me very quickly that I’d be a liar if I even dared to try. He was Bratva. I couldn’t believe either my stupidity or my luck. It was unfathomable I hadn’t seen through his bullshit. As I thought back to the case years before, I realized I’d seen the patriarch of the family maybe twice, dealing with the family’s attorney when we’d had any questions regarding the murders of people inside their organization.
I shook the ugliness aside, trying to determine what kind of game the man was playing. Whatever it was, seducing me had become part of the plan. Was that the truth? It was difficult to believe given the intensity of our connection.
The remaining vestiges of sun managed to capture his beauty, illuminating a dazzling display of colors framing his rugged body.
Every inch of me was trembling. From his touch. From his heated breath. From the enticing danger surrounding him. The way Alexei had handled the unwanted admirer had been a huge turn-on, more so than I’d ever dare admit to anyone.
I sucked in my breath, reminding myself that the ballgame had been entirely different the night before. I’d believed him to be a safe gift presented on a silver platter by my friends. Instead, he’d been a stalker who’d broken into my room. I should walk away, laughing in his face for his daring bullshit.
But I knew he’d never let me go.
Every time he said my name, it felt as if small parts of me were now owned by the powerful man. The fact he’d asked if he frightened me meant I should fear him. What troubled me more than the darkness surrounding his words, the deep inflection that continued to take my breath away was that I wasn’t certain I’d mind being possessed by him.
The way he’d handled the armed tourist should have bothered me. No, Alexei’s behavior should have infuriated me more than I’d shown him, but instead I’d felt a rush of adrenaline, a wave of desire unlike anything I’d ever felt, including the night before. The intensity of the longing building to a frenzied state made no sense, especially given I knew very little about the man.
I knew of the family, every male considered a vile and violent criminal, an empire who controlled a good portion of New York as well as the East Coast. However, the passionate man who’d spent hours seducing me, providing raw ecstasy seemed entirely different than what I would have expected.
Was I foolish enough to believe he didn’t have a hidden agenda? Of course not. I sensed there was a monster lurking under his expensive clothing and dashing smile. The darkness of his eyes, both devoid of any light was a clear indication of what he was capable of. But in his arms, none of that seemed to matter.
I allowed him to guide me away from the crowds, returning to the same spot where I’d stood by the water. The sun was quickly fading below the waterline, creating a shimmer of light dancing across the surface. My heart continued to beat rapidly, uncertain of his intentions.
I’d spent my entire life working and living on the right side of the law. To even consider engaging in any further activity with the man was irresponsible, reckless as hell, but I couldn’t resist spending even a few more hours with him. Maybe it was time I lived for myself. Damn the concept of danger.
As soon as the words floated in the back of my mind, the inner voice quickly chastised the mere thought. For all I knew, when we were finished, he would end what we’d shared permanently along with my life.
He remained quiet, his body only inches from mine. The heat was entirely too explosive, keeping my nerves on edge. I took a sip of my drink, hoping the liquor would help ease my nerves, but my gut told me nothing would at this point. “Why are you here?”
“Standing beside a beautiful woman or on the island?”
“Don’t treat me as an imbecile, Alexei. There is no chance your arrival is a coincidence.”
“I would never treat you with anything but respect, Stephanie. You are right in that I wanted to see you again. However, I had business to conduct as well. Consider it perfect timing.”
I glared at him until he laughed.
“Perhaps I shifted my meeting location. I will admit that.”
I shook my head, purposely looking away. At least he admitted he was stalking me. Did I really mind? The answer was no. What the hell was he really doing here? Yes, he’d had a meeting, but I sensed he had other reasons.
Or motives.
Being this close was more unnerving than the night before, but now that I had a name to his devastatingly gorgeous face, it was impossible to ignore the warning signs. He was far too seductive, easily fracturing the tenuous hold I had on my rationality.
I’d read enough reports, had prosecuted the kind of evil that had given me nightmares. This man was on another plane altogether. I tried to control my breathing, allowing me to think clearly, but the continuous hum of electricity surging between us made thinking completely impossible.
“You’ll forgive me if I don’t entirely believe you.” As his scent floated toward me, exotic and musky, I loathed the effect he was having on me, my nipples straining at the thin material of the dress.
