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“It’s true,” I mutter.
He cups his hand over his mouth for a moment, then asks, “He better not have touched you.”
My eyes go wide.
Then I think about Marco and what I just gave him, what Iwantto give him, which is my body and my soul.
I shake my head. “No,” I say, knowing he will be pleased but equally horrified to have to bring it up. “UnlikeRussianmen,I know how to abstain.”
Unless it’s Marco Medici, then I’m all in.
More than ever, I feel the pull to him.
Andrei, the butler, clears his throat. “Sir, your brother, and his guest have arrived.”
Aleksi nods then turns to me. “This conversation isn’t over.”
I say nothing. I know him well enough to understand he means every word.
He may think that a Russian woman should know her place, but he’ll be considering what I said, especially about Vlad. Serves him right.
My hands begin to shake as Aleksi looks down and sees. He puts one hand over mine.
“Byt silnym, sladkiy rebenok.” he says.Be strong, sweet child.“My vsegda dolzny demonstrilidy svoi silnye storony.”We must always show our strengths.
The trouble is, I left mine a few miles across town.
With Marco Medici.
20
MARCO
I standstoic on the steps as the car rolls away. I nod to Darko and the soldiers.
If it’s a job well done, then why does it feel suddenly cold and empty without her?
Being with her, wrapped up around her body, was so warm. It felt so fucking right.
I should be glad. The whole thing with this girl comes with an entire barrage of problems and headaches that I don’t need. I also don’t have time to have someone in my life. We could never make it work…
My work-life balance is no different from what it was five years ago with Lisa, and look where that got me. I’m busier than ever. I was left in a big new empty house without her, so I bought an even bigger castle because that made total sense.
Nothing in my life has ever made sense, so having this attraction to Katiya doesn’t take me by surprise in the way it probably should. I am surprised, however, I can surpass that sharp tongue and that temper of hers. Our back-and-forth insults and arguments turned me on, it’s my kind of foreplay. Even when she drove me up the wall.
Rocco clears his throat, and I suddenly realize I’m still standing there watching the car.
I turn on my heel, nodding towards him. My brothers are already pushing and shoving each other back into the house.
“You alright?” Rocco asks me.
I know my look is passive, and I’m trying to not let my face give away how I feel about her leaving.
I’m pretty sure he saw me with a hand on her back and then her leaning up to whisper in my ear. He’s ex-special ops, he’s observant.
“Of course,” I mutter, “Why wouldn’t I be?”
He hangs back while my brothers go back inside, and Darko disperses the troops.
